Chennai: As pipeline work nears end, K K Nagar traffic woes do too

CHENNAI: Traffic congestion in the KK Nagar-Nesapakkam area could be eased by November when Metrowater is expected to complete replacing the old pipeline carrying sewage from residential areas of Kodambakkam zone to the Nesappakkam treatment plant.
A senior Metrowater official said the old pipeline at the junction of Anna Main Road and MGR Nagar Market was laid more than 45 years ago. Over time, it got damaged and residents complained of sewage overflowing on to roads. Metrowater then decided to replace it under a Rs 2.2 crore project, the official added.
Metrowater is also constructing three new entry points on the stretch to install machines that will take up maintenance of the underground sewage system.
On Thursday, municipal administration minister K N Nehru visited the new sewage treatment plant at Nesappakkam and reviewed the progress. The plant, using ultra-filtration technology, can treat up to 10 million litres of sewage per day.
Metrowater is also laying pipes along a 12-km long stretch to transport the treated water from Nesappakkam to Porur lake, with 88% of the work of installing machines and electrical equipment having been completed.
The minister has directed the officials to complete the work at the sewage treatment plant before next January and conduct trial runs. Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), Metrowater, had earmarked Rs 47.24 crore for this project.