The Hindu         23.01.2011

Corporation seals 4 hotels

CRACKDOWN: Corporation officials inspect the sewage flow from one of the hotels in Anna Nagar that was sealed on Saturday. — Photo: K.Pichumani

Four hotels in Anna Nagar were on Saturday sealed by the Chennai Corporation for letting untreated sewage into stormwater drains.

The civic body has estimated that over 1.5 lakh illegal sewer connections that open into stormwater drains have been the cause of clogging of drains even when there were no rains. Around 25,000 commercial establishments let sewage into stormwater drains, said an official of the Corporation.

Mayor M.Subramanian said the civic body would soon identify and seal all commercial establishments with illegal sewer connection.

Illegal sewer connections in Anna Nagar were identified following clogging of drains on the stretch between Anna Arch and Peripheral Hospital recently. The civic body officials had cleaned the stormwater drains with assistance from Chennai Metrowater and had taken out large quantities of sewage from the drains.

Stormwater drains are solely for carrying water during the rains and should remain dry when there is no rain, an official said.

The civic body has taken action against the four hotels under the provisions of Section 44 of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act and Section 279 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act 1919.

The hotels have been asked to immediately get a sewer connection from Metrowater.

Around 25,000 commercial establishments let out sewage into stormwater drains, says official