Drop in the ground water table in Palar River has resulted in water shortage in many parts of southern suburbs of Chennai.
Chromepet and Pallavapuram receive Palar water only once in 10 days.
M. Murali, a resident of Subham Nagar, Pallavaram, says, “Many residents get Palar water only once in 10 days. I buy packaged drinking water. This year, due to deficit in monsoonal rainfall, the water level has dropped considerably. However, there are no problems with groundwater availability.”
“The supply (Palar Water) does not meet even a few days’ requirements of the house. My neighbours and I walk to the nearest Over Head Tanks (OHTs) to fetch a few pots of water,” K. Lakshmi, a resident of Pallvaram, said.
The situation is better in the eastern parts of Pallavaram and the western parts of Chromepet, where ground water levels are good.
In Bashyam Nagar, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, Raghva Nagar, and Pachaiyappan Nagar, Chromepet (Western side) where there is severe shortage, the Pallavapuram Municipality has constructed OHTs to meet the crisis.
“The ground-water level is very bad when compared with the scenario in West Pallavaram and Chromepet. We have to depend on OHTs and hand-pumps to meet our daily needs,” C. Brindha, a resident of Chromepet, said.
B. Chandrasekaran, councillor, Ward 29, Pallavapuram Municipality, said, “With monsoon rainfall deficit, we anticipated a water crisis in Pallavaram and Chromepet. The work to construct the tanks was started in 2013. In Chromepet, the Municipality constructed eight OHTs, six of them fitted with bores. Apart from this, hand-pumps have been installed at vital locations, and on an alternate days, water is supplied through tanker lorries.”
The requirement levels are set to increase in coming days. The Municipality is thinking seriously about constructing rainwater harvesting system percolation Pits. The tanks are constructed at a cost of Rs. 2 lakh.
In Pallavaram, three OHTs have been constructed in each ward in addition to bore pumps and hand-pumps. The bore-pumps will be soon connected with the new OHTs, to be constructed after the Lok Sabha elections.
