The sewage treatment plant at Brindhavan Nagar (Ward 23) in Coimbatore that has been in disuse for quite sometime. | Photo Credit: Siva SaravananS

: On the southern most road in Brindhavan Nagar (Ward 23), west of Coimbatore airport, the residents have dumped debris along the road.

The piled up debris, which appears like a semi-permanent compound wall, is to prevent the sewage stagnant south of the road from entering into the houses there, explains M. Pandi, a resident.

The gradient there is to the north. If the residents had not dumped the debris, the sewage would have surrounded the houses as it had started moving after the recent showers, he adds.

Houses in the area and the neighbouring Poonga Nagar are connected to an underground sewerage system. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board that had developed the area had also constructed the sewerage system with a treatment plant. But, that plant is dysfunctional now, says the area Councillor K. Manian.

The sewage that gets collected in a well, flows into another nearby well and then flows out to the treatment plant after the sludge settles. The treated sewage is to flow out to a nearby park. Four years after constructing the plant, in 1996 the Board handed it over to the then Kalapatti Town Panchayat.

After the Kalapatti Town Panchayat became a part of the Coimbatore Corporation, the civic body had paid very little attention on the sewerage system and the result of the indifference is the sewage from the second well is flowing on to the vacant land surrounding the treatment plant to form a cess pool.

That the sewage remains stagnant is the first problem, that it could inundate the Brindhavan Nagar is the second problem, Mr. Manian says and adds that to address the problem he had invited the Mayor and Corporation officials and they had visited the area a few days ago.

Mr. Pandi says the two localities need a permanent solution and a short-term solution that too before the South West Monsoon.

Sources in the Corporation say after Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar’s visit, the civic body has started working on a solution. The permanent solution may be the construction of a new sewage treatment plant, but this is contingent upon the availability of land in the area. While planning to construct a new treatment plant the civic body has to also consider the proposed airport expansion drive.

As for short term solution, the Corporation may take steps to contain the sewage on the south of Brindhavan Nagar, the sources add.

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Printable version | May 21, 2022 6:31:23 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/residents-of-brindhavan-nagar-in-coimbatore-demand-solution-to-sewage-problem/article65413570.ece