Despite stringent rules that no solid waste should be
pushed down the drains, poor official implementation and the careless
attitude of the public has led to a situation where even jet rodding
machines are unable to clean the sewage blocks.

The State
government has banned manual cleaning of drainages, following a Supreme
Court direction. Subsequently, the city corporation purchased four jet
rodders to stop manual cleaning of Under Ground Drainages (UGD). Though
officials claim that these jet rodders alone are put to use in clearing
blocks in drainages, manual cleaning has become the order of the day,
due to the poor solid waste management sense of residents.

On an
average, the sewage network in the city pumps about 56 million litres
discharge to treatment plants at Panchapur. However, due to clogging in
sewage lines, most of the days, the city roads especially, commercial
hubs like the Central Bus Stand area and the Chathiram bus stand, sewage
flows on the road posing health hazards for residents.

The City
Corporation instructed all the hotels, commercial complexes and
apartments in the city to have diaphragm chambers to filter silt,
sanitary napkins, left over food items and other solid wastes, which
cause frequent blocks in the underground drainage lines. However, only a
few commercial establishments have complied to the order.

On
Wednesday, the sanitary workers were seen engaged in manual cleaning of
sewage lines and  a manhole at the Madurai road. The workers took out
clothes, fibre, plastic and other solid materials that choked the free
flow of sewage through the drainage line.

Since jet rodders cannot
remove these kind of solid materials, the sanitary workers are forced
to manually undertake the cleaning.

When asked whether they knew
it was banned, they replied that the officials asked them to execute the
work and hence, they were on duty.

However, the officials from
the City Corporation maintained that only jet rodder machines were being
used to clear blocks in drains. Corporation Commissioner PV Thandapani,
said he would look into the issue. He said about 70 percent hotels and
commercial establishments constructed diaphragm chambers, and the
remaining 30 per cent would complete the work shortly.

“We are monitoring those yet to construct the diaphragm chambers in the City”, the Commissioner assured.