Mulankunnathukavu: An overflowing septic tank at the Medical College Chest Diseases Hospital has turned the public road into a pool of sewage. Pedestrians and motorists are forced to wade through the filthy, stagnant water.

Whenever it rains heavily, the septic tank breaches, sending wastewater spilling out. The effluent cuts across the main road and collects in a drainage ditch inside the adjacent police station compound, where it remains stagnant for months. Police personnel are left with no choice but to work amid the overpowering stench.

Compounding the misery is a rampant mosquito menace, raising serious public health concerns. Despite this recurring ordeal plaguing the area during every heavy downpour since the hospital’s inception, authorities have failed to take meaningful action. Whenever public outcry mounts, the authorities resort to makeshift, cosmetic fixes rather than finding a lasting solution. The continuous overflow of hospital wastewater poses a grave health hazard.

A practical remedy already exists: the waste could easily be redirected through pipelines to the hospital’s own Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). However, the authorities have consistently dragged their feet on taking the necessary steps.