On a hot Sunday morning, R. Panchavaranam of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar (Ward 28) near Ulaganeri on the Madurai-Melr highway, throws a bucket of soapy water into a channel carrying Vaigai water from Kallandhiri from the Periyar Main Canal.
“Our houses do not have a proper underground drainage connection. Even the discharge from households flows into the channel,” says Ms. Panchavarnam. The channel used to be a main source of water for irrigation of the single-crop in the region. Today, it is full of garbage, plastic waste – all on a bed of nauseating sewage. “There used to be a time when the water was used for irrigating paddy crop in the Karuppayoorani region. Now, with rapid urbanisation and proliferation of houses, the channel has been reduced to a receptacle of trash,” adds Ms. Panchavarnam.
Residents say the channel was cleared and renovated two years back. “It was desilted two years ago before the onset of monsoon. Since there is no water flow, people dump garbage into the channel,” says M. Sundar, a resident of Valar Nagar.
These suburbs, situated near the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, came under the ambit of Corporation in 2011. Lack of underground drainage facility poses a serious problem for the residents. “Since we do not have a proper underground drainage system, we have no option but use the channel,” says A. Kalaivani, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar.
Residents complain that even after numerous complaints, the civic body has not paid heed to their request of providing underground drainage connection in their area.
The area with around 200 families has only one dustbin. “Though conservancy workers collect garbage door-to-door every day, many residents throw the garbage into the channel,” says S. Mallika, a resident.
“The residents must realise the folly of their practice so that they will not dump garbage into the channel,” says Mr. Sundar.