Mon Sep 08 05:16:14 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article rewrite of the provided text:

**Summary:**

Residents along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) in Chennai, India, are facing a significant sewage problem due to the lack of a formal underground drainage system. Instead, an existing rainwater pipeline is being illegally used to discharge sewage, primarily from PG hostels and individual houses. This leads to overflowing ducts, street flooding with sewage, and the pollution of the Buckingham Canal. Gated communities with functioning sewage treatment plants are also negatively impacted due to the route they must take to access OMR. The main culprit appears to be the non-compliance of PG hostels with proper sewage disposal practices. Immediate action is needed to enforce septic tank use, prevent misuse of existing infrastructure, and establish a dedicated underground drainage system.

**News Article:**

**Sewage Crisis Plagues OMR Stretch in Chennai as Illegal Connections Overwhelm Rainwater Drains**

**Chennai, September 8, 2025** – Residents along a key stretch of Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) are grappling with a growing sewage crisis stemming from the absence of a formal underground drainage system. Illegal connections to an eight-inch rainwater pipeline are causing widespread flooding and environmental concerns.

The problem centers around the area from the former Navallur Toll Gate to Siruseri Sipcot, where many PG hostels and individual houses are bypassing proper sewage disposal methods. Instead of maintaining septic tanks and utilizing sewage-clearing services, these properties are directly connecting their sewage outlets to the rainwater pipeline on Vembuliamman Koil Street.

The inadequate capacity of the existing pipeline leads to frequent overflows in OMR’s service ducts and stormwater drains. The situation is particularly acute on Thiruvalluvar Street, where residents face daily sewage flooding between 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., coinciding with peak water usage in PG hostels.

“The lack of enforcement is creating a public health hazard and impacting everyone, even those who are following the rules,” says U. Muthukumar, a resident of TVH Taus and former association secretary.

The untreated sewage eventually drains into the Buckingham Canal, exacerbating pollution levels. Even gated communities with their own Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are affected, as they are forced to navigate the sewage-flooded Egattur Natham Link Road to access OMR.

Residents are calling for immediate civic intervention, including strict enforcement of septic tank usage, prevention of further misuse of rainwater drains, and the urgent construction of a dedicated underground drainage system for the affected stretch of OMR. Failure to address this issue poses a significant threat to public health, property values, and the environment.

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