Residents get sewage in drinking water pipelines

By T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI, SEPT. 28. Residents of Third Cross Street in Kasturba Nagar, Adyar, were in for a shock on Wednesday when they received contaminated water in handpumps at their homes.

But a day later, the situation was no better and they continued to get sewage in the drinking water pipelines in the area as also on Third Main Road of Kasturba Nagar.

More than all these, the main complaint of the residents was that there was no advice from the local officials of Metrowater not to use the piped water, though the lines carried the polluted water for the second consecutive day.

According to Dr. Geetha Swaminathan, a Reader in the department of Chemistry at Stella Maris College, a sump in her home was filled with the contaminated water and the already-stored water too became polluted. ``My neighbours also had a similar problem''.

In the early morning on Wednesday, a complaint with the Metrowater officials was made but no action to clean the sumps was taken till she approached, around 2-30 p.m., a councillor of the Chennai Corporation from the Adyar area. ``No official from the Metrowater office bothered to inspect the place'', she said, adding that the cleaning operation was completed late in the evening.

A chemical analysis of water collected from a handpump at 20, Third Cross Street, Kasturba Nagar in Adyar, revealed that the qualities of the polluted water examined from different parameters well exceeded the permitted levels.

The contaminated water's colour was black and it was stinking unbearably. Against the normal level of 500 mg/l for total dissolved solids, it was 2,000 mg/l. Similarly, turbidity of the polluted water was 50 ppm whereas it should be only 10 ppm, she pointed out. Dissolved oxygen was 0.5 ppm against the permissible four to six ppm. Biological Oxygen Demand was 250, compared to the acceptable figure of 10.

``We are taking remedial steps on a priority basis'', said an official of the Area Office-X, under whose jurisdiction the area fell. The source of the pollution was traced and it was due to an on-going sewer improvement work carried out in the area. The water supply in the area had been cut off.

Acknowledging that there was a lapse in communicating to the residents about the follow-up action, the official said ``it took time in arranging to get workers and attend to the problem.''

As an alternative measure to provide water to the affected areas, lorry supply of water was being done. The official added that the problem would be rectified by Saturday morning.

Residents charged that the Metrowater team which arranged to clean the polluted sump demanded Rs. 500 for the task, which they refused to pay because the staff said no receipt would be given. Moreover, the problem had arisen because of a lapse on the Metrowater's part, to rectify which it could not seek payment.

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