Frequent seepage in UGD chambers irks commuters

For motorists, negotiating through the Central bus stand area in Cantonment is becoming tough as the lack of a proper underground drainage system and frequently opened manholes are flooding the road with sewage water, literally turning it unmotorable.
Fed up with the never-ending problem, many have called for immediate action from the authorities. Locals allege that the manholes of underground drainage (UGD) chambers are either opened for cleaning or closed with stones in order to prevent vehicles from passing over them.
As the UGD connections in Cantonment are 30 years old, the underground drainage pipes are incapable of accommodating the drainage let out by commercial establishments and residential complexes that includes solid waste.
With the sewers flowing out of the UGD chambers, the situation poses a serious health hazard to residents in Cantonment locality covering Central bus stand and several hotels. Corporation officials said hotels and residential complexes, mostly apartments in and around Central bus stand have been dumping solid waste, including sanitary napkins, into the drainage lines, resulting in frequent blockage in the chambers and lines.
This causes the sewage water to flow out of UGD chambers on Royals, Williams and VOC Roads. Adding to the condition are the drainage lines at Cantonment that have become unfit to accommodate the liquid waste released by commercial establishments.


"UGD system upgrade across the Cantonment locality is the need of the hour as the population has increased drastically. The faulty chambers on Williams Road were often covered with wooden logs which is a serious threat to the lives of motorists during night hours," secretary, consumer protection council Ponmalai branch, H Ghouse Baig said.
Sources said the eateries dotting Central bus stand often dump flour in the drainage lines leading to clogging of solid waste in UGD chambers across Royals Road and Williams Road.
Though the civic body with the help of machines like mobile septic sucker, tried to address the issues, the recurrence rate in the area is high among UGD chambers in Cantonment.
Faulty manholes on Williams Road near the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation depots cause the traffic congestion in the locality. "People should cooperate by not trashing solid waste in drainage lines. As food wastes are dumped by the restaurants into the drainage, UGD chambers around the bus stand often gets clogged up. We are clearing such blockages in a short span," a sanitary official with the Trichy Corporation told TOI.

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