The steady stream of sewage which ran into the tank of Sri Kapali Temple, Mylapore last week as the rains came down and pushed the waters into local drains raised a stink.
The issue clearly has been affecting the tank for some weeks; but official tardiness dragged the solution to plug the mess.
The executive officer of the temple, D. Kaveri, says, “We first noticed that the sewage was flowing into the tank about a month ago. It happened a second time a few days after that and again a third time last week. Every time it happened Metro Water and Corporation officials were informed immediately and a fix was provided.”
Nobody knows if the ‘fix’ is for the time being and if it will weather the monsoon season.
She continues, “There are two pipelines which run very close to each other at the intersection of R. K. Mutt Road and Venkatesa Agraharam Road, a sewage line and a storm water drain. There was a leak in the line somewhere and that resulted in the frothy, black water flowing into the tank”.
“When we informed the officials for the third time last week, they came on Saturday, July 13 to inspect the pipelines again. On Monday, the road was dug up, the leak was identified and the problem was recitified. The inflow has now been arrested”.
When Corporation and Metro Water officials were contacted, each of them had a different opinion.
An official in Corporation, Ward 124 says that there was a leakage in the Metro Water line and that resulted in sewage water being discharged into the tank.
An official in Metro Water, Zone 9 says that the water was discharged as a result of a leak in the storm water drain. The storm water drains, he says, always don’t have free flowing water. When there is a block and the water stagnates, the colour of the water changes, and it looks a lot like sewage water.
As the monsoon season draws closer, a thorough cleaning of all drains that can lead water into the big tank is what is required now. Not ‘fixes’.
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