The Hindu 21.11.2013
Civic body plugs illegal sewer inlets
On Wednesday, Chennai Corporation commenced plugging of illegal sewer connections of commercial buildings that were identified in the city over the last few weeks.
Officials of the Corporation’s revenue department, health department, and the junior engineers of 200 wards have started locating the illegal sewer inlets into stormwater drains. This follows the survey done by the Corporation’s Public Health Department to assess the number of illegal sewer connections in the city.
A number of the inlets have been plugged in most of the 200 wards in the city. “We have plugged five illegal inlets from commercial buildings in Ikkatuthangal. We have spared residential buildings to avoid causing hardship to residents,” said an official.
The drive is expected to take many days to fulfil as a sewer network for clearing the sewage of all the 16 lakh properties in the city is pending completion. Also, the civic body has a list for only 11.5 lakh of the property tax assesses, with most of the properties found to be violating building norms.
The compilation of data on the total number of illegal sewer inlets plugged will be done in a few days. The revenue department will be asked to withdraw the trade licences of such commercial buildings.
The civic body has also planned to carry out another survey to identify all the illegal outfalls that are yet to be traced by the Public Health Department. This survey will be carried out by a private agency which will verify every building and identify those that contribute to the pollution of waterways.
The civic body has already advised many property tax assessees to get a sewer connection from Chennai Metrowater.
Action follows survey to identify all commercial buildings with illegal sewer connections.
