Chennai: For more than a month, residents living near Lazarus Church Road in Santhome have been struggling with the problem of stagnant sewage that raises a stench and health concerns. Despite repeated complaints to civic authorities, there is no permanent fix in sight.Several eateries and shops are located along this stretch, which frequently witnesses sewage overflow during summer and monsoon. Locals and commuters are compelled to walk through filthy water. With a surge in cases of fever and infection, residents said they are worried about the unhygienic conditions, coupled with persistent stench, and spike in mosquitoes.
“Sewage overflow and stagnation has became a never-ending issue here, as the underground pipelines are not at the same level, obstructing the free flow of wastewater,” said S Sasikala, a resident. She claimed that though it is a perennial problem, Metro Water failed to replace the pipeline. Instead, they only drained the stagnant water as a temporary measure.When contacted, Teynampet zone area engineer C Suresh Kumar of Chennai Metrowater said, “The sewage pipeline carrying wastewater from several areas, including Mylapore, Santhome and Triplicane, to the Perungudi treatment plant was damaged, leading to a road cave-in in Taramani. As many as 10 pumping stations, including those in Mylapore and Triplicane, have been non-functional for the past three days, resulting in sewage overflow and stagnation. Rectification will be carried out immediately. Road cave-ins often lead to stagnation of sewage. Such issues are addressed on priority.” T Joseph, another local, said this was not the first time they faced this problem. “It has been persisting for months. So, the reason cited by the officials doesn’t make sense,” he added.
