Sewage and rainwater sharing ‘chambers’ in Judge Colony, Tambaram Sanatorium

stormwater drain meant to transportation rainwater has turned into a transmission for sewage successful Judge Colony, a quiescent residential enclave successful Tambaram Sanatorium, triggering concerns implicit nationalist health, biology degradation and groundwater contamination.

Residents of the locality, which falls nether Ward 34, Zone 3 of Tambaram Corporation, allege that excess sewage from a State government-run moving women’s hostel is being discharged into the stormwater drain on Second Main Road. The practice, they say, has resulted successful stagnant sewage, foul odor and superior wellness risks successful an different pleasant neighbourhood.

Judge Colony, location to much than 1,000 residents including retired judges, authorities officials and professionals, besides houses a moving women’s hostel, a schoolhouse and a attraction centre for persons with disabilities.

Groundwater concerns

According to S.M. Govindarajan, founder-president of the United Federation of Residents’ Welfare Associations nether Tambaram Corporation, said the stormwater drain was constructed to transmission excess rainwater from GST Road adjacent the TB Hospital towards the eastbound side. However, a method contented successful the alignment of a railway container culvert has impeded the travel of water. While the consequent h2o stagnation connected GST Road is simply a abstracted concern, the drain successful Judge Colony present mostly carries sewage discharged from adjacent establishments.

The sewage stagnates astatine respective locations owed to the lack of capable flow, resulting successful foul odour, mosquito breeding and fears of groundwater contamination. “What was conceived arsenic a stormwater drain has virtually go a sewage channel,” Govindarajan alleged.

Geetha, a homemaker, said the prime of groundwater had deteriorated considerably. “The h2o drawn from borewells and unfastened wells has turned dark. Many families are forced to acquisition drinking water,” she said. Neeraja, different resident, said the stagnant sewage adjacent her residence had go a persistent problem. “Infrequent desilting worsens the situation. The stagnant h2o besides affects electrical appliances,” she said.

Residents pointed retired that contempt the wide usage of reverse osmosis systems, groundwater successful respective houses remains unfit for depletion due to the fact that of suspected contamination.

The contented has gained value arsenic respective parts of Tambaram Sanatorium, Chitlapakkam and neighbouring localities are yet to beryllium covered by an underground drainage network.

Security concerns

Residents besides highlighted information issues on the stretch. According to them, respective CCTV cameras installed on the tempest h2o drain person go defunct.

“Visitors to the women’s hostel often usage this road. Considering information concerns, the damaged cameras should beryllium restored and monitoring strengthened,” said Ramaswamy, a retired Deputy Collector.

Residents question action

Calling for contiguous intervention, Govindarajan urged the authorities to forestall sewage from entering the stormwater drain and insisted that the hostel instal a sewage attraction works (STP).

“When gated communities are required to dainty and negociate sewage, institutions accommodating hundreds of residents should besides person capable attraction facilities,” helium said.

When contacted, Tambaram Corporation Commissioner S. Balachandran said complaints had been received regarding the discharge of excess sewage from the women’s hostel and a fewer commercialized establishments successful the area.

“We person ordered desilting of the tempest h2o drain arsenic an contiguous measure. Instructions person besides been fixed to place and artifact sewage discharge points,” helium said.

Residents, galore of whom are long-time taxpayers successful the Corporation limits, said they hoped the contented would beryllium resolved earlier the biology harm becomes irreversible.