Residents of various localities in south Chennai decry the delay in the total implementation of a Rs. 64 crore Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
The project, inaugurated in February 2014, is aimed at benefiting areas such as Nanganallur, Pazhavanthangal, Alandur and Adambakkam.
The project involves laying of new mains and sub-mains and new house service connections and construction of seven overhead tanks (which have been constructed) in addition to the six old overhead tanks coming under the zone 12 of the Chennai Corporation.
The project envisages water supply on alternate days through the new water connections at houses. It has benefited the residents of Lakshmi Nagar, Sri Ram Colony, Kuppuswamy Naidu Layout and of certain stretches in Nanganallur, more precisely 41-46th streets.
However, in Ram Nagar Third Main Road, Nanganallur, despite the provision of new mains and sub-mains and new house water connections, residents are not getting enough water after they complained of sewerage mixing with drinking water.
“For the past four months, drinking water has not been supplied and we are forced to rely on ground water,” a resident of Ram Nagar says.
In Durairaj Street and Bharathiyar Street, Pazhavanthangal, the connections have not been laid till date, The residents get water only once in four days, through old pipe connections. A majority of residents in Alandur, Thillai Ganga Nagar and Adambakkam have benefited.
V. Rama Rao, social activist, says, “A high-level technical committee, headed by an IAS officer, must be appointed to resolve the issue as the residents mostly rely on Metrowater. Steps must also be taken to de-silt and deepen the Adambakkam Lake, which plays a vital role in recharging groundwater tables in Nanganallur and Adambakkam. In Ullagaram, Puzhuthivakkam, and Madipakkam, the residents are yet to get house-service connections. Work on laying of underground water/drainage pipelines started in March 2014 and was completed this year.
“The CMWSSB has laid main underground water/drainage pipelines on Medavakkam High Road. Laying of new mains and sub-mains and providing house service connections are yet to begin. At present, we are dependent on ground water and draw water from sumps and bore-wells,” A. Raghavan, a resident of Ullagaram, said.
“Though we don’t get piped drinking water supply, we pay water tax of Rs.170 to 180 every six months, which is compulsory. The water tax receipts must be produced at the time the water connections are availed.” The same situation prevails in Madipakkam. The residents buy canned water for drinking and have also installed Reverse Osmosis water filter systems.