Drinking water scarcity is slowly spreading in many areas in the city and peripheries. Women, have started coming to roads with empty pots demanding the officials to take steps.
Taking stock of the situation at the monthly law and order review meeting here on Tuesday, Collector Anshul Mishra discussed the availability of drinking water in the reservoirs and plans to distribute it through tankers.
District Revenue Officer Ravindran, Deputy Commissioner of Police R. Thirunavukkarasu, Revenue Divisional Officers of Madurai and Usilampatti, Tahsildars, panchayat administration officials and PWD engineers attended the meeting. Last week, public from Tirunagar Bharathi Nagar staged a road roko, in protest against erratic water supply. Police and revenue officials pacified the agitators. Based on their assurance of better water supply, they dispersed. Immediately water was distributed in that area. On February 9, public from Rajammal Nagar in Avaniapuram resorted to a stir as the public borewell in their locality went dry.
Since it was alleged that some local politicians were encouraging women to stage protests against erratic water supply, the police had been told to find out the facts. The tahsildars were instructed to identify problematic areas and provide alternative arrangements for water supply.
A few days back, residents from DRO Colony, adjacent to the Collector’s camp office, met the Collector in the early morning, seeking regular drinking water supply as the Corporation had failed to supply water for 15 days.
Two other issues which cropped up at the meeting included a dispute over a claim of a stone quarry by an individual from Virudhunagar and the people of Kallaneri village also claiming that it belonged to them. Similarly, S. Nedupatti, near Usilampatti, drew the attention of the Collector. As there was no road, the villagers used a small channel to reach the main thoroughfare. In the event of the channel receiving water, the residents may be stranded, the villagers said. The Usilampatti RDO was told to inspect the spot and take action to lay a road.
Ward-wise plan
Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa has instructed officials to prepare ward-wise plans on the availability of drinking water sources to overcome the possible water shortage during the ensuing summer.
Reviewing the water situation with officials, he asked the engineers to submit the plans with Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal at the earliest. Meanwhile, the Commissioner has warned that those involved in illegal tapping of piped water supply would be slapped a fine of Rs. 10,000. He said that water supply would be disconnected if water was pumped using electrical motors. The connection would not be restored for the next six months, a statement said.
