Date:01/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/01/stories/2007100158870400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Metrowater’s monsoon plan

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater has identified about 200 places across the city that are likely to face problems pertaining to sewerage during monsoon.

A Metrowater official said identification of such areas formed part of the plans chalked out by it to tackle emergent situations during the oncoming monsoon. Going by their previous records, these places across the city include pockets in Pulianthope, Virugambakkam, Royapettah High Road, Choolai, Saligramam, Kotturpuram and Ayanavaram. Demellows Road in Vepery, and Thanthai Periyar Nagar and Ram Nagar in Velachery were the other chronic areas that experienced sewerage-related problems in the past years. A list of such chronic points in every area has been prepared by its area offices to monitor the sewers. Besides flushing of the sewerage, wherever necessary, based on the complaints, the contingency plan for monsoon also includes monitoring of 181 sewage pumping stations across the city against breakdowns.

Measures were being taken to ensure sewage pumping station operations in the face of flooding and power failures during monsoon.

Regarding the recent complaints about sewage getting mixed in drinking water pipelines, the official said flushing operation in north Chennai had been completed. The Board now receives only a few complaints on which actions are taken.

Besides checking adequate availability of chemicals that are added for improving the water quality, the number of samples of drinking water for testing have been doubled. Metrowater would work in co-ordination with other government agencies to deal with rain-related problems over the next few months, the official added.