An aerial view of the mechanized fishing boats anchored in the Kasimeda fishing port in the constituency of dr. radhakrishnan nagar in chennai | Photo credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Every day at 6am, Revathy (name changed) and her neighbors on Butchammal Street in New Washermenpet gather at the hand pumps. The first water that flows is cloudy and has a foul smell. They need to pump and dump buckets of water for at least another 90 minutes before clean, odorless water flows.
Such scenes are almost common in many parts of Tondiarpet, a prominent zone in the constituency of Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar (RKNagar) in North Chennai. For residents like Revathy, it’s a routine they’ve followed for several years as households struggle to access clean, safe drinking water. The reason: old sewage and water pipes.
Published – April 4, 2026 0:59 AM IST
