Residents of Navalur are demanding measures to prevent tankers from dumping sewage in their area

Residents of Navalur have been smelling foul every morning for over six months as sewage tanks have been emptying their dirty contents into the open spaces of Gandhi Nagar layout at night.

“When we complained to the police, they caught and fined one truck. But only one truck. There was a break for a few days after that, but it has started again. Sometimes they also dump things in the afternoon, when there are not many people on the roads,” said Atish Baisantry, vice-president of OMR Gandhi Nagar (T&S) Plot Owners Welfare Association.

Residents said their surveillance cameras and lights were breaking frequently. They blame the truck drivers but they have no proof of that. “We are worried that our underground water will be polluted by this. There are more than 2,000 plots here and many residential communities in this area. As far as we understand, there is no pumping station for sewage trucks outside the Greater Chennai Corporation limits, hence the sewage is discharged here,” said Krishnan Subramanian, president of the association.

The association has sent representations to various departments urging them to stop dumping sewage in their area. They also want a sewage pumping station to be built.