Many Chennai suburbs already reeling under water scarcity

  • | Wednesday | 13th March, 2019

“A lot of proposals to augment the water supply in the suburbs are sent to the government regularly, but these proposals are rarely approved on a priority basis,” said an official. As a result, Chromepet residents are supplied water from the Palar river just twice a month.“We met the municipal authorities on Tuesday, who assured us that water will be supplied through tankers,” said Santhanam. The 2.5 lakh people in east and west Chromepet requite one million litres a day, while the municipality manages to supply 70 lakh litres during the non-dry period. But, nothing happened, says secretary of Ambattur Venkatapuram residents’ welfare association secretary D Sundararaman. “Many paid money to mediators who promised them Metrowater connections.

CHENNAI: Summer is yet to bite, but many suburban residential areas as well as those recently included in Greater Chennai Corporation limits are already reeling under a severe water shortage.In Pattabiram, on the western fringes, more than 70% of the residents are dependent on borewells, while in nearby Ambattur area, many residents have still not got Metrowater connections more than 10 years after the area came under the corporation limits, said Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre president T Sadagopan. Even for those who have water connections and pay taxes regularly, supply has been irregular, he added.In Avadi, a senior Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department official said, 648 borewells had been sunk by the municipality to augment the existing 300 handpumps and steps were being taken to repair faulty ones.Most borewells, sunk using funds allocated for councillors had become defunct within two years and municipality officials showed little interest in repairing them, saying the required equipment had to be brought from Kancheepuram, Sadagopan said.The condition is no better in Chromepet east and west, Civic Welfare Assocations of Pallavaram president V Santhanam says the Pallavapuram municipality, under whose jurisdiction Chromepet and Pallavaram come, has half a dozen lakes which now carry sewage. As a result, Chromepet residents are supplied water from the Palar river just twice a month.“We met the municipal authorities on Tuesday, who assured us that water will be supplied through tankers,” said Santhanam. The 2.5 lakh people in east and west Chromepet requite one million litres a day, while the municipality manages to supply 70 lakh litres during the non-dry period. “Now, it has scaled down the supply to 30 lakh litres a day, which will not fulfill the requirement,” he said.Residents of Venkatapuram, Krishnapuram and Secretariat Colony in Ambattur, all at an elevated level, hoped for piped supply when the areas came under the city corporation. But, nothing happened, says secretary of Ambattur Venkatapuram residents’ welfare association secretary D Sundararaman. “Many paid money to mediators who promised them Metrowater connections. Till date, no resident has got a connection,” he said. “A lot of proposals to augment the water supply in the suburbs are sent to the government regularly, but these proposals are rarely approved on a priority basis,” said an official.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles