Sewage stench irks Anna Nagar West residents

CHENNAI: A drain passage through Anna Nagar Western Extension, emptying into the Otteri Nullah, which is meant to carry storm water, is now clogged with stagnated sewage and waste water. This has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes that swarm the place day and night.The residents are peeved at the inaction of the civic authorities. They want the waterway to be maintained properly to prevent mosquitoes  from breeding and the stench that engulfs the area every now and then removed. The waterway runs through 6th, 7th and 8th Streets of B-sector, AP plots, Kailash Colony, and UR Nagar. Sewage and waste water from the houses are being let into the waterway because there is no underground sewerage system in the area. Encroachments and blockages on the waterway restrict the flow of the waste water and sewage. Residents living near the waterway regularly dump garbage into the waterway. Sewage gets stagnated and sometimes overflows from the waterway, which creates a stinks throughout the locality. The waterway is also acting as a mosquito breeding ground, which forces residents to keep their windows closed. NP Chandranathan and S Gurunathan, residents of 4th street, complained, “We are living in a pathetic condition as the stench and mosquitoes are forcing us to keep our windows closed even during day time. Particularly in the morning and evening, sewage level increases and flows off the waterway. The guests who are visiting our houses usually beat a retreat as they are not able to bear the bad smell. The residents of this area are taking vaccines voluntarily to escape from diseases.”A Chockalingam, Secretary of B-sector Association, said that during rainy season, the condition gets worse. “Even spraying of insecticides is not being done frequently in this area. Stringent action should be taken against the encroachers along the waterways. We have complained about this to the local body authorities many times. After clearing the encroachments, desilting of waterway is must. Unless these things are done, the problem could not be solved,” he added.