Lack of proper sewage facilities in Pozhichalur in Chennai is creating issues for the people now
Posted on: 28/May/2018 9:32:54 AM
Situated near to airport, Pozhichalur is one important residential locality in Chennai. This Pozhichalur has become the cynosure of many eyes now for wrong reasons.
The news is there is no proper sewage system here in this locality and this has resulted in the draining of sewage into the ponds, onto the streets etc. It must be noted that this has become favourable spot for the mosquitoes for their breeding. People in this locality are worried very much about this now.
There are as many as 30000 people here in this Pozhichalur and they are at the risk of having many health issues due to the above mentioned issues. Pozhichalur is a village panchayat in Kancheepuram with close to 10000 houses. A plan to provide sewerage connections in this locality was proposed by the metro water department and later this plan was abandoned. Building soak pits is being recommended by the panchayat. A resident of this Pozhichalur expressed his views and spoke about how soak pits present are cleaned once in 10 days to 6 months and this is done by private trucks. He further spoke about how in a part of Cowl Bazaar the sewage lines were laid recently and how providing sewage lines to them would not be any problem. Few residents spoke about how having sewage lines is a must for a burgeoning suburb and how maintaining soak pits are difficult.
The shocking piece of information is a pond adjoining a temple in Kaliamman Nagar is now a drainage pit and it was previously used for washing and bathing. This is due to the fact that illegal sewage lines from many houses drains into water bodies. It has created more issues for the people now as they have to cope up with both bad smell and mosquitoes. It is worthy to note that the flowing of the sewage onto the streets and into the adjoining lands have made lives difficult here.
According to panchayat secretary Mr. Shankaran, as per the 2006-07 policy note of the municipal administration and water supply department, a report was to be made about providing sewage facilities to municipalities town plus village panchayats like Pozhichalur etc.
At that time it was said that state had decided not to have sewage networks in the village panchayats and soak pit system was recommended.
An official from the metro water department spoke about how there were no plans to provide sewage facilities in Pozhichalur etc. This official later spoke about how panchayat must approach them and then only any planning regarding the provision of sewage system would be possible.
An environmental activist, Mr Arun Krishnamurthy, spoke about how both authorities as well as the residents are equally responsible for the lack of sewage facilities here.
