In Pallavaram, a sleepy suburb of Chennai, the water supply from the Palar River — once the lifeline of every household — has turned into a silent threat. On December 5th, three residents lost their lives in separate incidents allegedly after drinking the contaminated water. At least 50 others were rushed to Chromepet Government Hospital over three days with severe diarrheal symptoms.
The locality is in the Tambaram City Corporation limits. But, neither the corporation nor Tamil Nadu’s Public Health Department has specified the cause of the deaths (as of publishing this article). The BJP’s state unit has claimed that lab reports confirm the presence of E. coli bacteria, a strong indicator of sewage contamination. In April 2024, tests commissioned by a residents’ association showed clear evidence of bacteriological contamination in the Palar water.
Behind this tragedy lies a history of decaying infrastructure, outdated pipelines and a broken promise of safe drinking water — a legacy that stretches back to the 1970s when the Palar water supply scheme first began.
When Palar water was a luxury
From the days when Palar River water was supplied through taps in the streets to the installation of household connections, the journey has been long and difficult. Each phase was met with numerous hurdles.
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When the suburb was under the administration of the Pallavapuram Municipality, its special officer, D S Sivasami, sent a proposal to the State government highlighting the need for a water scheme in the locality. The quiet neighbourhood, experiencing a population influx, had limited water resources to meet the growing demands.
The foundation stone for the Palar water scheme was laid in 1972 during an event attended by the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and then St Thomas Mount MLA M G Ramachandran. “The scheme did not take off after I got transferred. It was restarted in 1978 when I assumed charge as the special officer again, with a bigger budget of ₹250 lakhs from the initial ₹173 lakhs,” says D S Sivasami, the three-time special officer of the Municipality.
The government initiated the street supply of Palar water in 1984 and gave household connections in 1986 to the residents who applied for it. Even today, many localities such as Mariamman Koil Street in Cantonment Pallavaram, which witnessed the death of 42-year-old D Mohana Rangan still rely on the street supply of Palar.
“Palar has been the only source of drinking water till 1996-97. The water used to be so clear and sweet that we never needed to rely on other sources,” says V Santhanam, a 87-year-old civic activist from the suburb.
‘Discoloured with metallic smell’
While the suburb now has access to alternative water sources such as metro water from Chembarambakkam Lake, RO water and lorry-supplied water for drinking purposes, many lower-income localities in Pallavaram still rely on Palar water supplied through street taps. D Mohana Rangan, who tragically lost his life on December 5th, had reportedly consumed this water. “My family members no longer drink Palar water; they prefer ‘can’ (packaged) drinking water,” says A Srikanth, a cousin of D Mohana Rangan.
Mohana Rangan was the only member of his family who continued to drink Palar water. “His wife and children always drank water from cans, but since he had been used to Palar water since childhood, he continued the habit,” Srikanth explains.
During the rainy season, residents frequently encounter discoloured water. “We don’t have household connections. Water from street taps is supplied from overhead tanks that are not regularly cleaned, leading to discolouration and a metallic taste in the water,” Srikanth, who resides on Mariamman Koil Street, adds.
Death by a thousand cuts
The substandard water quality in the suburb is not due to a single failure but rather multiple issues at the ground level. Poor engineering results in water supply pipelines running parallel to, and sometimes overlapping with sewage lines. Additionally, an underground drainage system is absent.
Over the past five years, reliance on Palar water has decreased but not entirely ceased. Many residents report that the pipelines in their localities remain old and rusty, as authorities have not replaced them for decades.
The UGD scheme, initiated in 2009 by Pallavaram Municipality, remains incomplete in 20% of the localities here. “The first proposal for an underground drainage system was sent in 1971. Even after several decades, we still don’t have an effective system. During rains, drainage systems overflow or sewer pipes burst,” says S M Govindarajan, President of the United Federation of RWAs of Tambaram City Corporation.
Poorly engineered pipelines further increase the likelihood of water contamination. “In several areas, Palar and UGD pipelines overlap. These shallow pipes are often visible on the ground,” noted civic activist David Manohar.
No preventive measures taken
Previously, as part of monsoon preparedness, the Pallavaram Municipality would announce preventive measures, such as boiling water. However, after the locality was merged into the Tambaram Corporation, no such efforts have been undertaken, said V Santhanam.
The water supply from Palar River is contaminated at source, reports suggest. A geochemical study was conducted by the Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu Forest Department and Biodiversity Conservation Foundation on 140 groundwater samples from Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district along the Palar River to evaluate physicochemical properties and heavy metal contamination, assessing groundwater’s metal risk index.
The report released in August 2024 reveals that water quality is significantly contaminated with chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and iron (Fe), while moderate contamination is observed with the presence of manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn).
The solution
Many questions still surround the ongoing issue, with the most pressing being that the water sample reports have yet to be released. Our attempts to contact Tambaram Corporation Commissioner S Balachander for comment have been unsuccessful.
To mitigate the risk of water contamination, a proper water treatment system should be put in place, say experts. “Metro Water employs an elaborate purification process, including RO and regular testing, before distribution. In contrast, Tambaram Corporation relies on a sump for water storage, with minimal treatment — primarily occasional chlorination,” says Sunil Jayaram, a civic activist.
Laying sewer lines before laying the water pipelines is another proposed solution. “The suburb needs a quick infrastructure upgrade comprising an underground sewage system, sewage treatment plant, water treatment with RO and chlorinations,” Sunil added.