Residents of this famous pilgrim town eagerly hope that shortcomings in the underground sewerage system will be rectified before the onset of monsoon.
Their main demand is replacement of sewer lines where there is overflow, causing foul odour and risk of epidemic outbreak. Water stagnation at various manholes is a common sight even after a short spell of rainfall, according to Krishnakumar, a resident.
Motorists have to tread carefully as nobody knows where the earth will cave in due to apparent failure of the underground sewerage scheme, he said.
The scheme implemented and commissioned over 15 years ago under the National River Conservation Programme is considered a failure by the public. At places such as Kavaratheru, there is huge spillage from manhole during rainy days, a local resident said.
According to officials, the sewer system was designed to serve the town spread over about 11.40 sq km with sewer lines running to a length of about 88 km with a capacity of about 10,800 house connections. The treatment plant was designed to handle about 5.85 million litres a day.
Besides residents, the farming community that has begun to raise paddy crop in the kuruvai season is a worried lot since the project envisages treatment of the sewage and letting it into Sathyavan canal. The Municipality, covering an area of 11.27 sq. km, has a total of 36 ward members. Maintaining the faulty UGSS, the pumping stations and the sewerage treatment plant has been a daunting task.
The overflow from STP has caused entry of untreated sewage into Sathyavan canal. Earlier this year, the Federation of Farmers Associations of Cauvery Delta Districts called for complete revamp of the sewage system in Mayiladuthurai town.
A senior official said a tender had been floated for undertaking rectification and the work was expected to begin within 10 days. The idea was to complete the work before rainy season.
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Printable version | Jun 2, 2022 4:16:17 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/mayiladuthurai-residents-want-faulty-underground-drainage-system-rectified/article65484868.ece