Build diaphragm chambers, gratings to plug leaks in Chennai manholes

Chennai:

The heavy downpour that lashed the city has hit the Chennai residents hard with leaking manholes flooding the streets and road resulting in Metro Water officials urging business establishments to construct diaphragm chambers.

Solid wastes and plastic wastes are entering into the sewerage system through inspection chambers and through manholes causing obstruction of the flow of sewage in the pipes, which results into sewage overflow, Metro Water sources said.

“The solid waste and other solids from the establishments such as hotels, restaurants, canteens, Kalyanamandapams, sweet stalls enters into the sewerage lines through inspection chambers and then enters into the manholes. This could be avoided if all the establishments build diaphragm chambers in the internal sewer line arrangement to avoid entry of solid waste into the sewerage system,” said a Metro Water source.

The diaphragm chambers are the structures constructed on the sewer line inside the establishment premises act as a filter to retain the solid wastes and prevent such entry of the solid wastes into the sewerage system that has to be cleaned periodically. Construction of the diaphragm chamber costs about Rs15,000 and can be constructed by any of the civil contractors or masons, sources said.

Metro Water also suggested gratings to be fixed in the terminal inspection chamber of the multistoried buildings in the internal sewerage system to prevent entry of solid wastes such as sanitary napkins, plastic covers and clothes into the sewerage system. “Residents of the multistoried buildings are requested to fix gratings in the terminal inspection chamber of the internal sewage disposal arrangement,” Metro water said.  

 Even the cattle yards are advised by the Metro water to avoid discharging of cowdung into the sewerage system and construct diaphragm chamber inside the cattle sheds.