Government officials are expected to not allow discharge of sewage into stormwater drains (SWDs) and the sewage must be taken to a treatment plant where it will have to be treated and reused for various purposes such as irrigation and gardening, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal observed.

The bench made this observation in a case relating to the alleged large-scale discharge of sewage water into SWDs in the Porur area by tanker lorries around the Porur link road. Based on a report, the bench noted that earlier, this practice of dumping sewage in the SWDs was taking place along the Vanagaram Maduravoyal Bypass Road and was stopped after complaints were raised, but now the dumping was along the Porur link road.

“It is seen from the report that large scale discharge of sewage water collected from the Corporation area is being discharged in to storm water drain which ultimately reaches some water body and likely to cause the contamination of lake water,” the bench said.

The bench directed a joint committee to be formed with the Greater Chennai Corporation as the nodal agency to inspect the area and ascertain whether there is any mechanism for monitoring the vehicles that are authorised to carry the sewage water to the disposal facility unit and whether such vehicles are fitted with GPS to track their movement.

The committee was also directed to find out if there were any violations, and to trace out persons who are carrying out this type of illegal activity and take action, including the imposition of environmental compensation on them.