Effluents dumped into channel pollute suburbs

CHENNAI: Acidic effluents dumped in the Keelkattalai surplus channel by a private firm are polluting Kovilambakkam, near Madipakkam, and surrounding areas, say residents.
“We have had to deal with a suffocating smell for the past few days but no action has been taken despite repeated complaints,” said Engineers Avenue Residents Welfare Association secretary Sajid Hussain.
S Kanakaraj, a resident, said they were forced to wade through the dirty water as all streets were flooded.
Environmentalists fear letting out sewage and effluents will further pollute fresh water sources. “Normally, heavy rain is a blessing for water bodies but now many private firms are using it as an opportunity to dump their waste,” said an environmentalist.
While one Kovilambakkam panchayat official said they were not responsible to control pollution as “it is the duty of PWD,” another said they would look into the complaints.
TOI on Sunday caught a private operator dumping sewage from nearby localities into a wetland in Perumbakkam.