Age-old channels have become open drains for discharging raw sewage in Tiruchi

While the Tiruchi Corporation has been engaged in expanding the underground sewer network over the past few years, a large number of households and commercial establishments continue to discharge sewage into the open drains in different parts of the city

While the Tiruchi Corporation has been engaged in expanding the underground sewer network over the past few years, a large number of households and commercial establishments continue to discharge sewage into the open drains in different parts of the city.

In the absence of a proper storm-water drainage network, these open drains serve as the city’s primary outlet to carry the rainwater flows to the Cauvery.

Although several such open drains could be seen across the city, eight of them — the Virupachipuram, Vannarapettai, Thennur Irattai, Kottai, Kathan, Thotti, Devadhanam and Tharanallur vaicals — had been serving as important storm-water drains. These have been irrigation canals in the past and were handed over to the Corporation for maintenance by the Water Resources Department following rapid urbanisation in recent decades. Most of these canals were more than 20-foot wide, originally but have now drastically shrunk in width.

But just as the Uyyakondan, which cuts across the city, has been nearly destroyed by urban pollution, the open drains have also turned into convenient discharge points for hundreds of households and commercial establishments which have not been connected to the underground sewer network.

Sewage could be seen flowing directly into the canals from pipes put up brazenly at the rear of the houses or small business establishments. Such outlets could be seen along the Thennur Irattai and Tharanallur Irattai vaicals.

While Corporation officials say efforts were on to connect all households and establishments to the underground drainage system, residents complain that the absence of punitive action had led to rampant violations. “The flow of sewage poses a health hazard to residents living along the drains. Action has not been taken against such violations for long and this has only emboldened the violators,” says Gopalakrishnan, a city resident.

The Thennur Irattai Vaical is turning narrower rapidly, which is visible when seen from the Thennur High Road. A similar situation prevails in other canals flowing at different parts of the city. Many smaller drains which used to flow into these major drains have either silted up or completely blocked due to encroachments at many places. “Clogged drains had resulted in water logging in many places across the city, especially parts of Anna Nagar, during the recent rain. If the rains had been heavier, we would have been in deeper trouble,” said N. Jamaluddin, a resident.