Sewage overflow poses health hazard in many areas of Tiruchi

A cesspool of sewage that overflowed from manhole in a residential pocket at Emily Nagar in Tiruchi on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A section of city residents is raising a stink over frequent incidents of leaky and overflowing sewage in residential areas.

Sewage outflow has been troubling residents and commuters of several residential areas. The sight is common in interior streets, especially at Kaliamman Kovil Street in Khajamalai, Melur Road, North Chithirai Street, and Thiruvallur Street in Srirangam, Emily Nagar, Kallukuzhi and K.K. Nagar areas.

Residents have to put up with the stench of the sewage that stagnates by the roadside. “People who used to take a walk on the street in the mornings have to hold their breath until they cross the stretch. The issue occurs frequently, and it just shows that the underground drainage system cannot handle the enormous load,” said R. Margaret, a resident of Emily Nagar.

Despite repeated complaints by the residents to authorities, a lasting solution has not been found. Sludge continues to ooze out; short-term fixes have not been effective. The issue has persisted for several months and overflowing manholes pose a health hazard as the stagnation leads to mosquito breeding, complained the residents of Khajamalai.

Although the Tiruchi Corporation takes up repair work regularly, some of the interior areas have been neglected. In some areas, the issue keeps resurfacing due to substandard work, alleged the residents. For instance, frequent pipeline bursts and manhole overflowing occur in the Khajamalai and Srirangam areas, but no permanent measures have been taken.

The civic body is equipped with jet-rodding trucks to clear clogged sewers in the city. Recently, a robotic desilting machine was hired to check its operational feasibility, and trial runs were conducted to clear blocks in the sewer connections due to narrow pipelines.

The advanced robotic machine is equipped with a high-resolution camera and operated via a system through which the silt and blocks can be detected effectively. Based on its performance, the civic body will consider purchasing the vehicle at an estimated cost of ₹1 crore.