Perambur High Road inundated by sewage; inoperative pump blamed

Chennai: Residents were left frustrated on Sunday morning as sewage gushed onto the north side of Perambur High Road near the Metrowater pumping station, highlighting persistent failures in Singara Chennai 2.0's basic infrastructure. The road was flooded, causing inconvenience to commuters and raising concerns over the city's public sanitation efforts.

It has become a recurring issue in the locality whenever Metrowater's pumping station shuts down, especially during the monsoon. This time, too sewage overflowed because pumping stopped.

"During our morning walk, we found sewage gushing from the manhole and overflowing on to the road. Even though complaints were raised with Metrowater and GCC, the issue has not been addressed by the authorities," said C Raghukumar, a resident.

Every time there is a downpour, the Metrowater pumping station is shut because it cannot handle the load. When pumping is stopped, sewage gushes out of the manholes on Perambur High Road.

"We urge the local body to enhance the capacity of the pumping station. There is a need for additional sewage treatment plants in the locality due to rapid urbanization," said S Manivasan, another resident. Metrowater is upgrading the existing sewer pipes in North Chennai.

More than 900 crore has been allocated under the North Chennai Development Scheme to upgrade sewer and water pipelines.

A senior Metrowater official said that since the pumping station was shut down, the sewage overflowed from the manholes. However, the issue was addressed at the earliest, the official said.

Steps would be taken to increase the station's capacity to prevent future drainage overflows in the area, he added.