Sewage inflows into Thamaraikulam pond; notices issued to household

CHENNAI: Sewage continues to enter Kathivakkam Thamaraikulam pond in Ennore unabated as the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) is yet to classify households near the pond as encroachments or not.

In a report to the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), the water manager has said that notices have been issued to 115 households that have not availed house sewer connections following a direction of the Tribunal in April 2022.

"The process of effecting house sewer connections to all eligible households has been initiated under Illanthorum Inaippu Scheme. 25 houses have been affected with connections, the remaining 90 households are yet to be given connections since the status as to whether these households would be classified as an encroachment on water course poramboke land or not in compliance with the orders of the Madras High Court is still under way," the report said.

The Metro Water also submitted that action will be initiated to effect house sewer connections immediately to the identified eligible households as per the rules after verification for water body encroachment.

The Tribunal is hearing a case filed by Meenavar Nala Sangam alleging that the Kathivakkam Thamaraikulam is not being maintained by the authorities resulting in massive and unconcerned encroachment, dumping of solid waste and letting out of untreated sewage.

The complaint also pointed out that there are more than ten sewage channels which are directly connected to and drain the sewage from the surrounding areas into the water body.