CHENNAI: The persistent absence of an Assistant Engineer (AE) at the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) Ward 48 has opened the gates for exploitation, with lower-cadre officials demanding up to Rs 50,000 for basic drinking water pipeline connections.
Though a recent bribery case came into the limelight and the official was transferred after public outcry, the critical AE post remains vacant, leaving residents demanding immediate, permanent recruitment.
According to residents in Ward 48, which is filled with congested stretches of Old Washermenpet, the sewer lines frequently overflow, and piped water supplies have a foul smell.
With no direct official to receive and attend to the complaint, a lower-level assistant named Venkatesan has been taking advantage of the vacancy, and assumed full charge and allegedly institutionalised bribe extraction.
Ramesh Ramadoss, an activist and a resident of Old Washermenpet, told DT Next, “Two months ago, drinking water supply suddenly ceased for a local tea shop and an adjacent apartment, forcing a cancer patient and her injured husband to manually carry water from public street pumps. When residents called to seek relief, Venkatesan demanded Rs 50,000. After it was paid, workers dug an illegal rat-hole trench without Corporation permits or technical oversight, leaving the water flow unresolved and requiring further out-of-pocket expenses to fix.”
When he raised the issue, the Depot Engineer explicitly admitted to a severe shortage of supervisory staff.
“Without a permanent AE to supervise, standard 4-inch sewage pipes are being haphazardly replaced with 6- or 7-inch PVC pipes in the sewage lines, which resulted in clogging and seeping in the monsoon,” he added.
Following complaints escalated on social media, CMWSSB transferred Venkatesan to Depot 48 Area Office as an administrative measure.
A senior Metro Water official stated that an AE from Ward 47 has been given dual charge; an official completing a three-year tenure elsewhere will be reassigned.
However, residents insist temporary measures will not stop corruption, urging CMWSSB to post a dedicated AE immediately.