Stormwater drains choking with sewage across city

Chennai: Be prepared to step into pools of murky water this monsoon as several stor­mwater drains (SWDs) in Chennai are filled with sewage and slush already.

The corporation has identified 3,000 illegal connections draining filth into SWDs in the past three days, while sources aware of the corporation routine, estimate that the number of illegal sewage connections polluting SWDs would run beyond the 10,000 mark.

Stormwater drains which ought to carry rainwater are filled with waste drained from nearby shops and residential units. “We are making every possible effort to curb such illegal connections and have identified around 3,000 such locations so far,” said a senior officer at the corporation.

“Enumeration will continue hereafter and the connections will be sealed. The civic body will also try a new method in which the trade licence of the shop, which lets its sewage into the drains, be cancelled,” the official said, and exuded confidence that special teams have been formed to alleviate flooding this season.

“Stormwater drains must be dry during summer and pave the way for rainwater once the monsoon sets in. Many slums do not have sewage connections and, he­nce, let grey water into SWDs. Thus, waterways get polluted beyond permissible levels,” said R. Govi­ndaraj, president, Exnora International.

“We are on the job and 15 locations were sealed in the past two days,” said a field official at Adyar. “We plan to identify at least 10 such illegal connections every week in a zone. With the help of traffic police, we will penalise motorists who damage the lids of drains.”