Over 500 Semmancheri TNUHDB Tenement Residents Get Sewage-Contaminated Drinking Water
For approximately one-and-a-half months, over 500 residents living in the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenement opposite the bus stand in Semmancheri, Chennai, have been receiving drinking water contaminated with sewage. The ongoing issue has left residents with pale yellow, foul-smelling water in their sumps, forcing many to buy canned water despite facing severe financial strain.
The affected residents, who migrated to the Semmancheri tenement from KK Nagar about two years ago, have complained multiple times to local authorities. However, they report that their complaints have not yet yielded a permanent solution.
Residents showed that the water in their sumps was discoloured and smelled strongly of sewage. S Rajeshwari, a resident, stated that when they approached TNUHDB officials, they were instructed to add more chlorine and bleaching powder and use the water for purposes other than drinking.
The contaminated water has caused widespread health issues among the tenement's population. Residents have reported suffering from skin allergies, diarrhoea, and stomach pain, while women have contracted urinary infections. Rajeshwari added that some residents have been unable to bathe for days and have missed work as a result.
The situation has also created a heavy financial burden. Most of the residents work as domestic helps, auto drivers, or housekeeping staff and cannot easily afford the unexpected cost of purchasing canned water.
Another resident, S Chitra, noted that while the water previously only smelled of sewage, it has now become completely discoloured. B Aslam, another resident, mentioned that they have faced water shortages since moving to the tenement two years ago and were promised a separate water line that has still not been provided.
A TNUHDB official stated that they have been trying to locate the source of the leakage for about 20 days but have been unable to find it. The official added that they plan to form a team with Metro Water and the corporation to find a permanent solution. In the meantime, the board is supplying Metro Water to the residents using lorries.
