With no water or sewage connections, Thoraipakkam street drains into lake

CHENNAI: A location once sought-after by residents has now become almost inhabitable due to the lax attitude of Metrowater and Greater Chennai Corporation officials. Kumaran Kudil Anex Street in Thoraipakkam neither has water supply nor sewage connection. All the sewage drains into the fresh water lake nearby, adding to its pollution.

The lake has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, residents complained.

Krishna Kumar, a retiree who owns a house in the area, said when his house was under construction in 2008, the area was a municipality, earlier. In 2011, the civic body had taken over the locality. “(All the sewage) is being dumped into the fresh water pond at Kumaran Kudil extension degrading the lake and posing health hazards. Complaints to the civic body and Metrowater have fallen on deaf ears,” Kumar said.

There are about 1,000 houses in the area. “In 2011, we were told we would get connections for both water supply and drainage within a few years. It has been eight years and the civic body and Metrowater have done little to improve the situation here,” Kumar said. As a consequence, owners are unable to find tenants.

Residents had complained to the civic body about the locality’s situation in October 2018 with pictures of the contaminated lake. They said the corporation passed the buck to Metrowater, saying the water agency had to provide underground drainage connections so sewage wouldn’t enter the lake.

Srinivasan, another resident, reiterated that the lake had become a health hazard. “We cannot do anything but wait for the officials to set up connections,” he said.

Residents has also sent a complaint to the managing director of Metrowater but received no response. “At least the corporation has a grievance redressal system, Metro water hasn’t responded to our complaints at all,” said Kumar.

When contacted, a Metrowater official said underground pipelines were being laid in the area and would be completed soon. “Once the pipelines are laid, we will set up sewage treatment plants and then household service connections would be provided,” the official said.