Chromepet locals threaten to boycott local body polls due to poor drainage system

Poor maintenance of the Underground Drainage system has irked the residents of Chromepet especially during the rainy season as the overflowing sewage water often enters the houses. As the stagnant water is not cleared for many days, it has also become a source for mosquito breeding and many other deadly insects. These issue are more prevalent especially in Postal Nagar, Kurinji Nagar and Natesan Nagar in Chromepet which comes under the Pallavaram municipality.

The residents angered by the inaction of the government in solving the long pending problem said that they would block the roads and would not even allow the local body election candidates for canvassing, if they fail to act on the issue.

According to the municipality officials, more than 2,000 families are residing here. Lakshmi from Natesan Nagar, said, “We are forced to walk over the drainage water overflowing in the street for the past one month. Since it is often raining now, the rainwater is also getting mixed with drainage and they flood the streets.”

The locals claimed that the local body does not act on the long pending issue despite them paying taxes regularly. “Upon seeing the bad condition of the streets, several families have also vacated their homes and moved out as their children often fall sick due to the rain water entering homes. We have gone and complained to the municipality officials frequently, but no action has been taken so far,” said Xavier, another resident.

When contacted, the Pallavaram municipal engineer K Ravichandran said, “We tried to repair the drainage but since it is being constructed with cement pipes they had got damaged. We need to replace the cement pipes with steel pipes for the stretch of 10 km and the estimated cost is nearly Rs 50 crore. We have taken the issue to the senior government officials and soon the fund will be allocated and the works will get started.”