Residents in many parts of Coonoor are having to come up with a variety of contingency measures to manage the continuing water shortage in the town which has been persisting for more than a year.
Most residents, who have been facing the water crisis from last year are storing rainwater in drums and other water containment units and are purchasing water from private water providers. Some residents, such as those living in Rajaji Nagar and Model House Road, are even relying on a small stream that meets a sewage drain to wash their clothes and vessels, all in a bid to conserve clean water for drinking and cooking.
Jaythool D, an area resident and a flower vendor in Coonoor, said that she relies on the stream when there is no water left in the plastic storage tanks in her house. She says that the stream mixes with sewage let out from other homes, but has no option but to use the water to clean the vessels and to wash clothes.
N. Mohan, a tea vendor in Rajaji, said that many people use the polluted stream as most people living in the area are daily wage workers and cannot afford to buy water from private water providers. “We receive water once every 20-24 days, and the water is released only at night sometimes, which makes it difficult for us to collect and store it,” he said.
Water scarcity is prevalent in most parts of the town, including Reilly Compound, Mount Pleasant, Vannarpet and Alwarpet.
N. Harikumari, a resident of D.B Alwarpet, said that private water companies were charging up to Rs. 500 for 1,000 litres, and that as the roads in the area are quite narrow, many cannot get a lorry to deliver water to their homes even if they could afford it.
The main reason for the continuing water crisis is because of the lack of rains in the catchment areas of both the Bandhimai and Ralliah dams, the two primary sources of drinking water to the town, said R. Manonmani, Municipal Engineer, Coonoor. She said that the Bandhimai Dam was empty, while the Ralliah Dam has 16-feet of water left.
“We are taking steps to mitigate the crisis, with two wells being dug in Springfield and Vandisolai, while we are also purchasing water from private water supply companies to meet the drinking water requirements of residents,” said Ms. Manonmani.
