More than a decade after Ambattur became part of Greater Chennai Corporation, residents of Padmavathi Srinivasa Nagar continue to remain outside the city’s underground drainage network, highlighting persistent gaps in urban infrastructure and raising concerns over environmental safety near one of Chennai’s key drinking water sources.
Home to more than 2,000 people across around 350 houses, the neighbourhood still depends on individual septic tanks and private desludging services. The prolonged absence of an underground drainage network has increased pressure on households while exposing the area to sanitation and public health challenges. The issue has gained significance because the locality lies close to the catchment region surrounding Puzhal Lake, a major reservoir supplying drinking water to large parts of north and central Chennai. Urban planners point out that inadequate wastewater infrastructure around water bodies can heighten contamination risks and undermine long-term climate resilience goals for rapidly expanding cities.
Residents and welfare associations say repeated commitments regarding the underground drainage network have failed to translate into visible construction activity. Several rounds of assurances over the past two years reportedly indicated that work would begin shortly, but the project has yet to move beyond the planning stage. As delays continue, overflowing sewage and stagnant wastewater have emerged as recurring problems on residential roads. Apart from unpleasant conditions, residents say maintenance costs have become an economic burden, with households spending thousands of rupees annually to clean septic tanks and arrange private disposal services. Civic observers note that the situation reflects a broader challenge confronting many peripheral areas absorbed into metropolitan limits. While administrative boundaries expanded rapidly, the extension of core infrastructure including piped water supply, sewerage systems and stormwater management has not always kept pace with population growth. Experts in urban development emphasise that an underground drainage network is not merely a civic amenity but an essential component of sustainable urban planning.
Reliable sewage treatment systems help prevent groundwater pollution, protect lakes and reservoirs, and reduce the environmental footprint of growing residential settlements. Concerns have also been raised over citizen participation mechanisms. Local welfare groups argue that formal neighbourhood consultations and community meetings have remained infrequent, limiting opportunities for residents to engage with elected representatives on unresolved infrastructure issues. Officials from the city’s water and sewerage utility had not publicly clarified the current timeline for implementation. For residents, however, the immediate priority remains straightforward: the delivery of a long-promised underground drainage network that aligns urban expansion with public health, environmental protection and equitable access to basic services.
