Pallavaram floats in sewage as Rs 102-crore drainage project lies buried

CHENNAI: Residents of Pallavaram are grappling with streets overflowing with sewage and waste water reversing into homes, even as the proposal to overhaul the crumbling underground drainage (UGD) system submitted three years back gathers dust. With the northeast monsoon round the corner, residents have renewed their demand for a permanent solution to the issue affecting the area for years. The UGD network, commissioned between 2006 and 2011 at a cost of `37 crore, was built using ductile iron (DI) pipes for the main lines and stoneware pipes for collection lines. Sources said the DI pipes, which have a lifespan of about 10 years, have now far exceeded their durability, leading to extensive corrosion and leakage. As a result, sewage is reportedly seeping underground and contaminating borewells and groundwater, causing foul-smelling tap water and frequent complaints from residents. Officials confirmed that the 197.7 km UGD network, comprising 7,505 manholes and a single main pumping station, has deteriorated significantly, forcing the corporation to spend crores of rupees every year on stopgap repairs. With sewage contaminating both Pallavaram and Keelkattalai lakes, residents have increasingly reported waterborne illnesses such as diarrhoea and fever. According to councillors from the Pallavaram zone, the Tambaram Corporation grievance centre receives 20-30 complaints every day related to sewage backflow and water contamination. The system was meant to operate through gravity flow, but only two pumping stations were installed instead of the 10 required to push sewage to the Keelkattalai treatment plant, said a councillor, pointing out that inadequate pumping has caused reverse flow into homes and streets. The contamination has reached critical levels in ward 17, where a purified drinking water unit constructed at a cost of `10 lakh through Pallavaram MLA I Karunanidhis initiative had to be shut down within a week of its inauguration after residents complained of foul odour. To resolve the issue, councillors and TCMC officials jointly prepared a `102-crore detailed project report to replace the old DI pipelines with cast-iron ones, which have a lifespan of up to 30 years, and to establish additional pumping stations. However, the proposal has remained pending with the corporation. Frequent blockages and overflows have become a part of daily life. During the monsoon, sewage floods the streets, forcing residents to wade through it, said social activist V Santhanam. Another activist, TN Ashokan of Chrompet, said, Corporation workers only carry out temporary fixes. The administration must consult engineers, allocate special funds, and implement a long-term solution. Ashokan further noted that since the corporation reported a `50.61-crore surplus budget this year, it should allocate funds to replace the ageing pipelines without delay. Councillors and residents have urged the Tambaram Corporation to take up the replacement work on priority to protect public health. Repeated attempts by TNIE to reach Mayor Vasanthakumari for comment went unanswered.