Thiruvananthapuram: Technopark has put forward a proposal to reroute the storm water drainage line, cutting through Tata Consultancy Services compound, which has been draining untreated sewage into Thettiyar. The plan is to block the pipe and lay a new line outside TCS. A Technopark official told DC that the project was mooted as there were “apprehensions among people regarding untreated water (sewage) being released from the pipe”. Water from the TCS pipe emptied into Thettiyar canal, as recorded on videos and photos, is dark black. Residents say that the stench is unbearable.
However, water is polluted even before it enters TCS compound. Moreover, TCS has a 120 kld Sewage Treatment Plant, and according to sources, the output is regularly certified okay by the state Pollution Control Board. If the company is indeed not adding to the pollution, the Technopark project is addressing only people’s apprehensions regarding TCS, not the problem of polluting Thettiyar.
Since the TCS drainage re-routing project would involve cutting a corporation road, they are waiting for approval from the civic body. It is estimated to cost Rs 15 lakh. Technopark is ready to bear the cost.
Three months ago, it was submitted to the corporation. Recently, in a follow-up they learnt that an engineer from the corporation will visit the site. There are other polluters upstream. The Al Saj Convention Centre has no Sewage Treatment Plant, despite having a daily footfall of over 1,500 people, in the marriage season. An employee there told DC that they have plans to build a 50 mld plant. They recently built 30 mld plant at Al Saj Hotel, he said. Technopark itself plans to upgrade its 500mld plan to a 750 mld plant. But they too complain of polluters upstream. Two weeks ago, they had spent a couple of lakhs to clear inorganic waste from the canal. There is hope in the new trunk sewer line to be laid from Kazhakkoottam to Karimanal pumping station, using Rs 9.8 crore from AMRUT scheme.
