Sithalapakkam residents complain about sewage radiating on vast open land

Sewage from tanker trucks that have been released in the open space of Sithalapakkam. Part of the open space is owned by one person and others and is owned by Panchayat. |Picture source: R. Ravindran

For residents of Sithalapakkam Panchayat in southern Chennai, the main problem for some time has been a citizen problem, literally – untreated sewage is dumped onto the vast open space of its area.

“We can’t use water from the well in the hole. It has a strong stench. Several houses have this problem. Will the government provide us with compensation if the groundwater is spoiled? Since we have panchayat water connections, we can manage it,” said Selvan, a resident of Valluvar Nagar.

Tanker trucks have been emptied in the plot for nearly a decade. “We have complained to Panchayat several times and warned van drivers not to drain sewage on empty land. It stopped for a while. But they just returned to this place. However, they had no way to flow out. Both water companies did not refuse water supply and refused these permitted lorries in the same approved place, but once paid these permitted cargo, but it was time to approve these supply, it was approved these fixed trucks, it was approved these charges, relying on these fixed ones, the company was defined as the basis, the company had fixed ones, and it had a basis. Sarath, resident.

Part of the open space is owned by one person and others and is owned by Panchayat. Mr Selva added: “There is no composite wall between these lands. It looks like the green of algae and smells bad.”

When the journalist tried to contact the landowner (about 70 cents), a friend of the family explained that the land was in lawsuits and the court directed it to investigate and measure. He added: “There is so much water and sewage around that they can’t investigate. The family now wants to approach the court and try to dump some building debris there so that at least the land can be measured.”

Sithalapakkam Panchayat president Ravi said he warned those who dumped sewage. “They only did it once without knowing it, and didn’t do it after I warned them,” he claimed.

Activist P. Viswanathan said there were cases where untreated sewage was placed into the body of water and open ground in several places in southern Chennai. “Due to lack of STP, in Pallavaram [Sewage Treatment Plant]the original sewage is being placed in Sembakkam Lake. Areas such as Ottiyambakkam, Perumbakkam, Koilambakkam, Vengaivasal and Sithalapakkam have been planted with the streets over the past 20 years [having been] laying and water supply; [they] The lack of underground sewage treatment systems is the main reason for such illegal activities. Many places remain part of the Panchayat union, and these areas do not have the funds for underground lines. The CMDA and MAWS departments should also ensure fast-paced development in these areas. ” he added.