In the midst of summer, if there is something that tops the list of residents' demands it is water. And Kavundampalayam residents are no different either. But then their list always has water on top, irrespective of the season.
Reason: irregular water supply.
Residents say that they want the Coimbatore Corporation to attend to their drinking water needs first and then look at other demands, for they have been getting water once in 10 days. “Water supply every 10 days in summer is unfair,” laments former Kavundampalayam Chairperson K.M. Sundaram.
Disparity
“Unfair because residents of the core city area get drinking water at regular intervals. This sets off a disparity between residents of a local body.”
Mr. Sundaram also says that things were better off when Kavundampalayam was a municipality and not part of the Coimbatore Corporation because the councillors and officials could get things done and the residents knew who they should approach to have their grievances redressed.
With the area becoming a part of the Coimbatore Corporation, the residents do not know who to turn to and no official seems to look into their problems.
Kavundampalayam gets Bhavani water under the Bhavani Combined Drinking Water Supply scheme. Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board supplies Bhavani water to not only Kavundampalayam but also Vadavalli and Veerakeralam.
One of the reasons for the inadequate water supply is power cut, says K. Maheshkumar, Councillor, Ward 5.
Generators
The Corporation can overcome the problem by installing generators at Veerapandi and Kavundamapalayam so that even during power cuts the motors at the two places continue to pump water.
He cites the Corporation's efforts in this regard in the Aliyar drinking water supply scheme. “If the Corporation can install motors at five places to improve Aliyar water supply to Kuniamuthur and Kurichi, it can initiate similar measure to take care of the needs of Kavundamapalayam, Vadavalli and Veerakeralam.”
Sources in the Coimbatore Corporation say that after Mayor S.M. Velusamy and Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy studied the Bhavani water supply project with TWAD Board officials, they have initiated a few steps to improve supply.
One such is having continuous power supply through feeders for the pump hours at Veerapandi and Kavundamapalaym.
They say that the civic body is at the job.
Kavundampalayam residents want the Corporation to clean the poromboke land in Mullai Nagar that was until recently a dump yard. The Corporation had ensured that the waste is not dumped there but that is not enough; it should clean the waste lying around and convert the area into a park, suggests N. Sivakumar, a resident.
The residents' other grievances also include inadequate manpower for conservancy work, lack of bins, and absence of drains in many localities.
