Over 10 yrs old, sewer lines clog Pallavaram, residents demand replacement

David Manohar, an activist based in Pallavaram, said that blocks in the underground sewage lines result in sewage leakage on roads. “Sewage leak has become normal on GST Road. But the Pallavaram Municipality has resorted to cutting the road to let go of the sewage into stormwater drains,” he added.

Worsening the situation, the practice of letting sewage into the stormwater drain is polluting the Pallavaram Periya Eri Lake. “Recently, the Municipality had created a makeshift canal to let the sewage into a culvert near Pallavaram police station. The stormwater drain crossing GST Road through the culvert drains water into the lake,” David added.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had recently issued a notice to the Pallavaram Municipality asking the latter to repair the damaged GST Road. However, the local body is yet to respond, reportedly.

C Murugaiyan, secretary of Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram Municipality pointed out that the issue is recurring in the locality. “A few months ago, a sewage mainline in Radha Nagar got clogged and sewage reversed into houses. 

After complaints, officials rectified the issue only to happen again,” he said. Murugaiyan urged the authorities to find a permanent solution to the issue before next monsoon season and said that the Municipality has a proposal to replace old underground sewage pipes only to sit on it.

A Municipality engineer said underground sewer lines were constructed using cement pipes more than 10 years ago. “The pipes are damaged due to corrosion over the years. 

We have sent a proposal to replace the pipes with cast iron pipes or ductile iron pipes as they have higher lifetime than the cement pipes. 

We need Rs 30 Crore to implement the project and we are waiting for the fund from the government,” the engineer explained. He also added that the sewer pipes were laid at a depth of 20 feet to 25 feet, which cause difficulty in repairing the pipes and remove clogs.