Chennai’s Tambaram corporation urges residents not to panic over drinking water quality
The corporation commissioner says the presence of coliform bacteria is common in open water areas.
4 min read
Chitlapakkam Rising, a volunteer group, flagged in October that the Madambakkam lake was laden with sewage. Following reports of the presence of higher coliform levels in drinking water supplied to the residents of Chitlapakkam from the Madambakkam lake, the Tambaram city municipal corporation in Chennai is awaiting a laboratory report, but has warned of legal action against spreading “false news” about drinking water quality.
“The volunteer group had taken the samples and got them tested in a private lab. They claimed the presence of coliform and we are waiting for the report from the laboratory (the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy), which will take some time. Our officials from the health department have noted that the presence of coliform bacteria is common in open water areas but we are taking all measures possible to ensure the residents are not affected. I personally went to households in about three wards where the water is supplied and none of the residents had any complaints about the quality of water and also the chlorination level has also been under the acceptable limit,” Corporation Commissioner R Alagu Meena said Tuesday.
Chitlapakkam Rising, a volunteer group, flagged in October that the Madambakkam lake was laden with sewage. The group found hyacinth spread around the wells on the lake and claimed that water from the wells was just merely chlorinated and supplied to the residents without proper filtration. The group claimed that it had taken water samples from the lake and got them tested in a private lab, which had confirmed the presence of the E.Coli faecal coliform bacteria and this was also confirmed in the tests conducted by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena shared on X (formerly Twitter) the corporation’s statement that cited a Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board report claiming the water is potable.
The volunteer group, however, said that threatening legal action without taking measures to address the issue was not acceptable. It said the civic body should make alternative arrangements to provide drinking water and stop pumping water from the lake until then.
Volunteers from the group met Commissioner Meena on Monday. Speaking to indianexpress.com, Sunil Jayaraman of Chitlapakkam Rising said that officials from the civic body had inspected the lake and started to remove hyacinths from the lake.
“We had a discussion with the commissioner for about two hours explaining the chronology of events. Ever since this issue came to our notice and we did our tests, we have petitioned the water resources department, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Tambaram corporation. Despite the proof that sewage water is getting mixed in the lake, the civic body did not understand the gravity of the issue and came up with a report that stated the water is potable. Based on the findings we had presented to the commissioner, she noted that she will initiate further action based on the report that is awaited from the King Institute,” he said.
The volunteer group had shared a video of an event where the Tambaram MLA SR Raja had offered to provide a solution if there were any issues with the water supplied to the residents.
Commissioner Meena, however, said there was no need to panic. The corporation has proposed the government build sewage treatment plants at a cost of Rs 3 crore at seven locations in the corporation limits and expedite pending works including the construction of storm-water drain networks in vulnerable spots, she added.
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