The Times of India                            25.10.2010

Roads bear brunt as sewage overflows in Madipakkam

CHENNAI: The problem of overflowing drainage water stagnating all around could shock residents in some areas. For people in Madipakkam, a southern suburb in Chennai, it is a regular feature thanks to the lack of a sewer system. And about 8,000 residents of Kuber Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar and Ram nagar are the worst affected and virtually live on an island. The panchayat officials, the residents allege, have not taken any step to rectify the issue.

Madipakkam, a village panchayat of over 70,000 residents, is situated just three kilometres from Velachery that is within the Chennai corporation limits. But the sanitation facilities here are worse than those in the some of the remotest villages in the state, some residents complain. Children and senior citizens have been falling ill regularly, they add.

The drainage water which overflows on to the streets from septic tanks or is let out into the stormwater drains flows and accumulates in open grounds. Kuber Nagar, one of the areas most affected, has 14 streets while Lakshmi Nagar comprises 10 streets and Ram Nagar is dotted with a lot of apartment complexes.

"The lack of a drainage system has been a problem here for the past many years. A private contractor has been cleaning the septic tanks occasionally and collecting the discharge using lorries. But the charges are too high, especially for the predominantly middle class population that resides here. Hence many people have stopped cleaning the tanks," said L R Jayakumar, a resident of Lakshmi Nagar.

As the tanks become full, some residents connect them with the stormwater drains and the sewage water flows through them on to streets and stagnates. The foul smell is unbearable. "Even cooking has become impossible due to the stench. When we approach panchayat president Chandra Harikrishnan, her husband replies on her behalf," said Karthik Krishnamoorthy, a college student residing in the locality.

The residents have been requesting the panchayat officials to at least regulate the cost of cleaning the septic tanks but there has been no response. "We even asked them to arrange for some vehicles to collect the drainage but nothing has been done so far. They say they do not have funds for such a purpose," he said.

G M Shankar, an advocate residing in Madipakkam, has been fighting for this cause for the past many years. "The sewage that stagnates on open grounds has also started polluting the groundwater. The menace of mosquitoes has increased because of this," he said.

Harikrishnan, husband of panchayat president Chandra Harikrishnan told TOI that his village panchayat was not given funds for constructing a drainage system. "We will get relief only after Madipakkam comes under the Chennai Corporation," he said.