Illegal sewage connections to stormwater drains remain an issue despite the Greater Chennai Corporation’s efforts

These are prevalent in commercial hubs like T. Nagar, Anna Nagar and Velachery. Apart from being health hazards, councillors say the drains in many areas also have sewage stagnation and silt accumulation, which have to be cleaned ahead of every monsoon

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has been building its massive stormwater drain network for a decade now, but sewage continues to be let into these drains illegally, especially in commercial hubs like T. Nagar, Anna Nagar and Velachery.

Apart from illegal sewage connections, which are health hazards, the councillors say the stormwater drains in many areas also have sewage stagnation and silt accumulation, which have to be cleaned ahead of every monsoon.

Councillor of ward 104, T.V. Shemmozhi, said 9 km of the 23 km stretch of stormwater drains in the ward in Anna Nagar had sewage water because of illegal connections. Important stretches such as Anna Nagar Second Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Fourth Avenue and Fifteenth Main Road had sewage stagnation in stormwater drains, he added.

“We have started pumping the sewage with the help of Metrowater to prevent public health problems. We have found mosquitoes breeding in the drains. Silt has accumulated in the drains and the flow of water has stopped, causing stagnation. We need more machines to remove the silt and pump the sewage as humans are not allowed to enter the manholes where sewage has accumulated,” another councillor said.

Velachery resident Kumararaja said many stretches, including 200 Feet Bypass Road, have illegal sewage connections. “The Velachery Lake Surplus Canal, which connects Velachery lake with Pallikaranai marshland, has many illegal sewage connections along a stretch of 2.5 km, polluting the marshland. Another canal connecting the Vijaya Nagar Bus terminus with Buckingham Canal also has many illegal sewage connections along the 4 km stretch,” he said.

T. Nagar resident V.S. Jayaraman said many large canteens managed by commercial establishments for their staff have been reportedly letting waste water into the stormwater drain.

Asked about such illegal sewage connections, Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the GCC had taken efforts to check the stormwater drains where the houses or commercial establishments routed their sewage and wastewater into the drains. “We have been plugging the connections and imposing fines on the violators for the past year,” he said.