The Hindu 30.12.2010
Madipakkam residents concerned over sewage collection well
K. Manikandan
— Photo: A.Muralitharan
Preliminary works for the sewage collection well, near Madipakkam lake,
have begun.
TAMBARAM: Residents and environmentalists are concerned over the
impact of a sewage collection well, which is under construction near
Madipakkam lake, on the waterbody.
Preliminary works on the well, part of the underground drainage
project of the Pallavaram Municipality, began a week ago. A huge pit was
dug and as there was a hard rocky surface, workers used explosives to
blast them, residents complained.
As part of the project, it has been proposed to construct pumping and
lift stations at different locations in addition to a main pumping
station in Keelkattalai. Work on the well began recently, much to the
shock of residents of Madipakkam Village Panchayat and tail-end areas of
the Pallavaram Municipality at Keelkattalai.
They said the Madipakkam Lake, which was originally spread over 100
acres, had now shrunk due to encroachments. Contamination in the form of
draining of sewage into it was also on the rise. Construction of the
collection well of the sewer project would irreversibly damage the
waterbody, which serves as a source of drinking water for entire the
Madipakkam Village Panchayat, they added.
The rural local body had sunk more than two dozen borewells around
the lake and water tapped from here was pumped to six overhead tanks and
then supplied to residents of the panchayat.
Members of civic groups said that while plenty of ‘poramboke’ land
was available, government agencies had chosen to destroy fringes of the
lake, especially its inlet point.
Since 2007, Madipakkam and Keelkattalai residents had been protesting
the absence of attempts by the government agencies to protect the inlet
point and water channels draining rainwater run off into the lake.
Officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water
Supply allayed fears of residents stating that there would no scope for
sewage seeping into the lake or overflowing from the well and entering
into houses nearby. The well would have a capacity to collect a few lakh
litres of sewage generated in and around Keelkattalai area and would be
pumped immediately to the main pumping station.
The project was launched in January 2006 and the estimated cost then was Rs. 36 crore.
After revisions due to cost escalations, it stands at Rs.75.33 crore.
Scheduled to be completed by 2008, it had already missed several
deadlines. Officials and elected representatives are confident of
commissioning at least a part of the project at the earliest.