The shortfall in drinking water supply in parts of the city over the past few weeks had its echo at the Corporation Council meeting on Thursday with members of the Opposition, holding the Corporation responsible for the problem. The council witnessed noisy scenes as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and AIADMK members indulged in a war of words over the issue. Soon after the meeting began with Mayor A. Jaya in the chair on Thursday, the DMK members raised the issue of drinking water crisis reported in many parts of erstwhile Tiruchi municipal limits, which is being supplied Cauvery water from sources at Kambarasampettai and Pirattiyur Combined Water Scheme.
Other Opposition members including the Congress and the MDMK too joined them in raising the issue. On the other hand, the AIADMK members including Malaikottai V. Ayyappan defended the administration claiming that it was taking all possible efforts to supply drinking water inspite of drop in yield from the water sources.
Demanding proper explanation, the DMK members rushed to the Mayor’s table and accused the Corporation of badly managing the drinking water supply situation. They said that the Tiruchi Corporation had failed to take preventive measures to ensure drinking water supply to the residents of all 65 wards. M. Venkatraj of the DMK said that adequate supply of drinking water was not maintained to the residents of several areas in the city for the last few weeks. It was a failure of the administration. The situation could have been avoided if preventive measures were taken.
The DMK members also complained that the officials had failed to inform the residents about the water crisis.
Intervening in the debate, N.S. Prema, Commissioner admitted that there were constraints in supply of drinking water to the residents living in high reach areas in parts of the city due to sharp fall in yield from Cauvery water sources. Sensing the groundwater table going down, the administration immediately took up the issue with the State government and impressed upon the need to step up water release from the Mettur reservoir to recharge the groundwater table. The State government also responded immediately and released 5,000 cusecs. She said the drinking water issue would be sorted out in a few days. Moreover, it had intensified supply of drinking water through tankers to areas facing short supply. As against the supply of 500 trips per day, the supply had been raised to 1,710 trips a day.
