Official inspect grey water discharge sites in Iyyapanthangal

CHENNAI: Assistant Director of village panchayats in Kancheepuram district, N Umashankar, and Kundrathur Block Development Officer (BDO), K Kalaiselvi, inspected VGN Nagar 4th Main Road and 1st Main Road of Ashok Brindavan Nagar following DT Next's reportage on water contamination fears.

The article, titled "Grey water discharge sparks groundwater contamination fears", was published on Wednesday (July 15). It highlighted how grey water discharge from residents has been pooling in a massive, low-lying vacant area, contaminating local well water. On the same day, Umashankar, Kalaiselvi and other officials inspected the spot.

Residents on the 4th Main Road had told our correspondent that they had unknowingly consumed foul-smelling water for a week and later discovered the well was heavily contaminated by the stagnant pool, which is fed by illegal grey water discharge from buildings on both sides of the Metro Water alignment, specifically along the 4th Main Road of VGN Nagar and the 1st Main Road of Ashok Brindavan Nagar. It poses severe health risks for all age groups, even though we now only use the water for non-drinking purposes.

Following the inspection, the officials told the residents that the land belongs to the Public Works Department and the Metro Water pipe goes below.

The responsibility to remove the water must be taken up by the Metro Water Board, or it has to pay the panchayat to take over the work, resident Pratheesha Illangovan said as quoted by the officials. Officials also conducted door-to-door inspections, and pamphlets were distributed to the residents of the street to raise awareness, she said.