Holes in the sewage system:
Even though the sewage disposal process of Chennai sounds posh, it is actually not so. Many areas in the city do not have proper sewage systems and rely on septic tanks. The waste of each house gets collected in individual septic tanks which get carried to treatment plants in sewage tankers. The use of septic tanks is a very ancient method and is sometimes gets really messy.
The CMWSSB took control of water supply and sewerage services from the Corporation of Madras to exclusively take care of the growing needs for a well-established sewerage system. In the 1970s, the Board only had to take care of an area which extended to 176 sq km. However, in 2010 the Chennai Metropolitan Area increased to an alarming 425 sq. km. This made it difficult to handle all the waste.
It is very disturbing to know that out of the 15 areas of Chennai, only 8 of it have proper functioning sewerage systems. It is even more shocking to find out that only one-third of the 1,800-2000 million litre of sewage that is being produced every day, gets treated. Very evidently, most of the poop from your houses just gets directly mixed into the water bodies which are a source of drinking water. Sometimes, due to the lack of a proper sewage system, the waste gets illegally drained through the storm water drains.
