It’s been two weeks since I have arrived in India. Although I have spent most of my time in Chennai, I have had the opportunity to travel to several other parts of South India. Recently I visited Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry), a Union territory of India. Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. It was under French rule until 1954. The city still retains much of the French influence – the entire layout of the city was planned to imitate French design, mainly in the grid pattern of the city. Colonial ambience of the city is still preserved. Puducherry contains many colonial buildings, temples, churches, historical monuments, and beautiful beaches. Most of the city has been well maintained and remains quite picturesque.

Unfortunately, the beauty of the city was immediately contrasted by the sight and the smell of the open sewage system that exists throughout the city. I was shocked to see that a city with such well developed infrastructure lacked a proper sewage system. The following photos show the open sewage system that runs throughout the city

An open sewage system raises many environmental and public health issues. Sewage containing human wastes is the most dangerous material polluting the water. The main diseases transmitted through the polluted water are typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, and infective hepatitis. Canals containing waste water in Puducherry mix with various bodies of water. In a point where the waste water mixes with sea water, the total coliform count was found to be 475 and the fecal coliform count was found to be 130. This is indicative of fecal contamination creating a high risk of disease. This dire problem can be attributed to the lack of proper waste water treatment.

During the monsoon season or other periods of heavy rain, the sewage system often floods. Currently, flooding is experienced more frequently due to an increase of garbage clogging and overburdening the sewage system. The clogging of the drains creates conditions ideal for disease vectors to breed. During times of flooding, diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, filaria, viral fever, and brain fever are reported. In a place called Solai Nagar in Puducherry all of the sewage is directed into one canal. This canal has not been desilted in years. An excess of waste has clogged the canal, leaving sewage to stagnate in the roadside drains. The drains inevitably overflow during periods of rain. Reports of untreated waste from a nearby hospital polluting the drains have also been filed. Obviously the open sewage system is a pressing issue. Something must be done immediately to expedite the implementation of a proper sewage system within Puducherry.

The Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC) has devised a scheme to install an underground drainage system and proper waste water treatment facilities in Puducherry. The models are designed to mimic the Japanese solid waste management system. Currently none of the waste in Puducherry is treated, whereas in Japan, 100% of the waste is treated. There is a 70-80% municipal recycling rate in most parts of Japan. Japan has taken a firm stance on minimizing the amount of waste produced in the nation, in addition to maximizing recycling throughout. The current policy in Japan emphasizes an incineration/waste-to-energy plan as a main means of disposing of municipal solid waste. The citizens of Japan are educated on the benefits of recycling and proper waste disposal from a very young age. Almost everyone in the nation is committed to and enthusiastic about keeping Japan clean.

The amount of waste generated annually in Puducherry is projected to increase greatly by 2020. The PPCC has adopted a four pronged plan to most effectively implement the drainage system. The first phase of this plan consists of planning and organizing along with institution building. During this phase, the PPCC wishes to enhance the collection and transport of waste. The next phase consists of the expansion of the service area. In this phase, plans for the control and the protection from pollution of the dump site are included. The third phase consists of introducing the 3-R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). In addition, social partnerships will be considered and developed. The fourth, and final stage of the PPCC’s plan consists of the total integration of the 3-R’s. In addition, further efforts to educate the citizens on a recycle-oriented and sustainable society, such as the one in Japan, will be made.

Unplanned development of Puducherry has created many environmental problems. These problems have ultimately lowered the standard of living in the city. Amenities that we consider basic, such as clean drinking water, proper drainage facilities for waste, and adequate sewage treatment facilities, are either scarce or non-existent there. There has been a great deal of environmental stress on Puducherry, including increased pollution and the loss of biodiversity. In addition, public health has been risked since there is an improper sewage system. Hopefully the government of Puducherry takes a strong commitment to implementing a closed drainage system. In order for Puducherry to continue to expand and further develop, proper waste treatment must be invested in. It is sad to see such a beautiful city be burdened by the lack of proper sewage infrastructure. Hopefully the Japanese model will serve to help Puducherry reach its full potential as a growing city.

Tags: Open Sewage, Puducherry
Posted in Design, India, Pollution, Waste Management, Water management | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Open Sewage Systems Hinder Development in Puducherry”

1. Eric Zickler says:

   July 21, 2010 at 11:46 am

   Possibly the water shortages in India can serve as an opportunity to focus capital investment into the sewage system to clean up places like Puducherry. In so many development projects in India, the recycled wastewater has become such a valuable resource for cooling tower make-up, toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. As water shortages increase and the cost of water scales proportionally, the value of wastewater as a resource will be realized at any scale.

   Using water shortages to facilitate the development of wastewater treatment networks or advanced treatment is not a new idea, however it might be easier to get the attention of government operators or private utility developers once the market value of a cubic meter of treated wastewater exceeds the cost of collecting and treating that same cubic meter.

   Along this line of thought, a larger water resource question comes to mind. If cities in the developing world arrive at a point where recycled wastewater is necessary to complete the water balance, where is the threshold that a city reaches an unsustainable water use portfolio? I am currently working on a project in Bangalore where the average water use per capita is approximately 100 liters/day, however that water use is predicted to be at 150 liters/day as Bangalore continues its rapid economic growth. I am concerned that this new per capita demand is not sustainable given the city’s water resource portfolio and the rate at which the city’s population is expected to grow.

   I would be interested in seeing a water balance for the city given its density and existing resources (including rainfall, recycled wastewater,etc). Is this something the Institute can assist with?

   Reply
2. Varsha Venugopal says:

   July 22, 2010 at 11:27 am

   Hi Eric,

   Thank you for your comment. Utilizing recycled wastewater for the applications you mentioned is definitely an invaluable resource. Water shortages pose many problems for a developing nation. Often, the mis-management of water resources in a nation can hinder development. Bangalore is a prime example of this. During a period of rapid and unchecked urbanization, the water resources in the region became threatened. Watersheds were destroyed and polluted. Contamination of the lakes by untreated wastewater and industrial effluent is a chronic problem nowadays. The city once relied on the bountiful number of water bodies for their everyday water needs. Now, the city experiences severe water shortages.

   The question you pose requires an in-depth analysis of many facets of the city. Currently, Bangalore’s water use portfolio is unsustainable. With the increase in the per capita water demand, the water use portfolio will become even more unsustainable. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) supplies 900 million liters of water daily. However, the current demand for water exceeds 1.2 billion liters per day. The city is notorious for water shortages. One main issue that the city is facing is the lack of a proper waste water treatment system. Right now, the BWSSB only operates 3 major sewage treatment plants. The total treatment capacity of these plants is significantly less than the amount of waste water generated by the city daily. Thus, untreated sewage is being dumped into the stormwater drains. These drains connect to the major lakes of the city, thus polluting them greatly. A city that once relied on these lakes for water can no longer since these lakes are now home to the city’s sewage! A comprehensive plan for the proper treatment of wastewater is necessary. This plan should include water reuse for toilet flushing, irrigation, etc.

   The Institute can definitely help provide a water balance of the city. Please check back soon for both a detailed blog post on the water shortages in Bangalore and a water balance of the city.

   Reply