Years on, OMR residents still deprived of sewage system

CHENNAI: Despite repeated media coverage and various written and verbal complaints, the demands of the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) residents for an underground sewage system and water connection remain unheard of to date. Since 2010, there have been multiple coverages on the issue in the media, but all were ignored by officials, Residents told DT NEXT.

“In 2010, when a major part of OMR became commercially active, we have been hearing officials give us false promises. Every meeting during the election with ministers and officials of metro water and other departments have been constantly feeding us the same lies,” said Harsha Koda, co-founder of the Federation of OMR Resident Association (FOMRRA).

“They claim that the work is almost over, the pipes are ready and connections will be given right away, but nothing so far in sight,” he added.

Koda said that even during the recent elections, candidates promised implementation, but saw nothing in reality. “Besides a few houses and apartments in OMR, the rest of the region is deprived of a proper sewage system and water connection. Even in those regions, there are several irregularities such as charging commercial water tariff for residential houses and sewage overflow,” explained Koda.

Meanwhile, another resident of an apartment in Thoraipakkam expressed anger and said, “We pay Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 as monthly maintenance charges. Because most of that amount is spent on pumping out sewage in tankers and bringing water in tanker lorries. However, apartment residents in T Nagar, Alwarpet or Adyar do not pay such an amount as they have proper connections.”

Department officials could not be reached when contacted.