The Hindu: K.Manikandan:Tambaram:Monday, September 25, 2011.
Over four years after money was remitted to the Municipality for the construction of an open drainage, the work remains incomplete, on Dargah Road in Pallavaram. This has resulted in nearly 200 families facing health hazards on account of the unhygienic conditions.
There are 182 apartments in Chitra Township, Phase I, on Dargah Road in Pallavaram. Before taking possession of their apartments, the owners had paid Rs.30,000 each to the builder as “drainage and water charges.” While the amount collected was nearly Rs.55 lakh, a sum of Rs.13.4 lakh was paid to the municipality by the builder for construction of an open drainage outside the apartment to transport grey water generated from bathrooms and kitchens.
It was paid in March 2007 and a response from the Municipality, sought under the RTI Act by the residents, acknowledges the same.
Though it has been more than four years since then, the municipal administration is yet to provide the drain. As a result, grey water from all the apartments stagnates in the southern and eastern ends of the complex, making it look like a reservoir. “We have been fighting for the past four years. Last month, we met top officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply and those at the Directorate of Municipal Administration. They promised to build the drain in a week, but there has been no response so far,” said Vasantha Viswanathan, a resident at the township.
Pointing to the continuous overflow of grey water from the underground sumps, Ms. Vasantha said it was a severe health hazard. They were forced to hire at least six tankers on an average everyday. They spent anywhere between Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 1.5 lakh a month for this purpose. In the absence of a treatment plant, they had to hire tankers to clear sewage too.
A public well, that was pristine pure when they moved into the complex four years ago had become completely contaminated.
They had been at the receiving end of criticisms from other localities in Dargah Road for no fault of theirs when rainwater washed away the grey water into neighbouring areas during the monsoon.
S.Vanamamalai, a former senior defence lawyer with a State government police agency, said the local body was now asking them to pay Rs.10,000 as deposit for the household service connections of the underground drainage project and another Rs.5,000 for the water supply improvement project.
“We are at a loss now, as we had already paid twice the sum to the builder for the purpose.”
Engineers at the Department of MAWS said steps were being taken to provide remedial measures .
On the delay , they said procedural hassles had shelved the work and hoped that it would be taken up at the earliest.
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