Citizen Connect: Stagnant sewage on Ambattur-Vanagaram Road poses health risk

Hundreds of workers and visitors to the industrial units dotting Vanagaram road, and also the motorists who take the road to reach Ayappakkam, have to brave the dark, stinking sewage that has been stagnating on the narrow stretch. But instead of addressing the issue, the association representing the manufacturers association and a special purpose vehicle formed to look after the infrastructure matters are only passing the buck to one another.

Vanagaram road at Ayanamabakkam is dotted with several heavy industries on either side and is part of the Ambattur Industrial Estate. It is also a shortcut for motorists to reach Ayapakkam from Velappanchavadi. Due to these reasons, the stretch remains busy throughout the day, with vehicles, including MTC buses, plying on both sides of the narrow stretch.

Despite it being an important stretch, the authorities have done nothing to address the sewage stagnating on the road. The problem has remained unattended for months together, with algae forming in the stagnant water, complain motorists and managers of some of the factories along the stretch.

It is overflowing from the drain on the side of the road, which was originally constructed as a storm water drain but was used to carry only sewage. In the recent months, it was blocked, resulting in the sewage overflowing onto the road. “This sewage stagnation causes traffic congestion, and pedestrians and motorists get drenched in it when heavy vehicles passing by splash the water on them. When there is a traffic jam on the stretch, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders cannot avoid stepping on the waste water,” said Vasanthkumar from Ayanambakkam, who uses the road to reach his office in Ambattur.

A manager at one of the factories on the stretch said that not just the workers, visitors too face difficulty as the water has stagnated in front of their workplace. “We have about 150 employees in our factory and dozens of people visit the unit every day for business purposes. Our employees frequently suffer from diseases such as diarrhoea and other viral fevers,” he said on condition of anonymity. In addition, there has been at least five cases of dengue reported in the past few months, he added.

Children who attend schools situated on the road, too, are at risk due to this.

When asked, officials from Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association told DT Next that it is the Chennai Auto Ancillary Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Company (CAAIIUC), a special purpose vehicle, that attend to such issues. However, CAAIIUC claimed that the particular spot does not come under their jurisdiction. With none to take responsibility, the workers, motorists and even children continue to face health risk by simply using the road.