Otteri canal chokes with garbage, sewage, silt

CHENNAI: As one of the 32 naturally formed canals in the city, Otteri Nullah should have been a thriving ecosystem that not only has a healthy marine life but also provides drinking water to the residents living along the way. However, years of encroachment, and debris and garbage dumping has turned the once-thriving waterbody (around 12 km long with a catchment area of 38.40 sq/km) into a cesspool of toxic waste.

“Every few days, especially in the mornings, when you open the tap in my house, an unbearable odour rises,” lamented Arun Babu, a resident from Mandapam Road in Kilpauk. “It hits you as soon as you open any of the taps. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but when it does, I don’t feel like taking a bath. However, the smell goes away during the course of the day. Also, I think they add too much chlorine to compensate for it.”

Otteri Nullah is a crucial east-west waterway in north Chennai, which is also a major outlet for excess rainwater to drain into the Buckingham Canal. Running through several zones such as Ambattur, Anna Nagar and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, the canal is heavily polluted with solid waste, plastic and untreated sewage, and also industry effluents.

Many residents also stated that they don’t use borewell water in the area as they have come to rely completely on Metro Water. “We’ve been living in this apartment for 6 years. This is not new, though not often, people who live along the canal have always faced this,” said Sukumaran, who lives along the Canal Road. “The canal is right behind our street and it’s always black and dirty. It wouldn’t be surprising if it’s leaking into the groundwater or nearby pipelines.”

A sentiment echoed by other residents in Kilpauk and Anna Nagar. Speaking to DT Next, Abdul Rawoof from Metro Water said the utility has not received any formal complaints so far. “But even if just one house faces a problem, it’s a serious issue. We’ll send a team to inspect and find out what’s going on,” he added.