On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, residents of the Suramangalam Zone, joined by AIADMK councillor K.C. Selvaraj of Ward 22, staged a road blockade to oppose the construction of a pumping station for the underground sewerage system near a local school.
The municipal corporation had proposed to collect sewage from nine wards in the Suramangalam Zone and pump it to a treatment plant, selecting a burial ground that serves multiple communities as the site for the new pumping station.
Councillor Selvaraj alleged that officials had not consulted the neighbourhood before choosing the location, which lies outside the school premises, and said he had been opposing the proposal for the past three‑and‑a‑half years despite the corporation’s continued push to proceed.
Following the blockade, police and municipal officials met with Selvaraj and the protesting residents. In the discussions, authorities agreed to halt the project for the time being and to explore alternative solutions for the sewage‑handling plan.
With the decision to pause construction announced, the protesters withdrew their road blockade, awaiting further clarification on the alternative proposal.