While the rain over the past couple of days and increase in the discharge of water in Cauvery from Mettur Dam is expected to ease the pressure on the drinking water crisis in the district, a section of farmers’ representatives on Thursday urged the Public Works Department (PWD) to take steps to ensure that the water reached the drinking water sources on the river bed in Tiruchi quickly.
They urged the PWD to remove the pathways laid on the river bed for lorries to access the sand quarries as the kutcha roads “ were impeding the free flow of water” in the river.
In a representation, Ayilai Siva.Suriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, and K. Suresh, City Secretary, CPI, pointed out that due to the absence of water flow in the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers for the past several months, the groundwater table along the rivers has gone down badly, affecting drinking water supply. Even in Tiruchi city, drinking water was being supplied only on alternate days.
Although the government has stepped up the discharge of water from Mettur dam for drinking water purpose from 3,000 to 7,000 cusecs the water was yet to reach Tiruchi. Apart from the evaporation and heavy absorption rate, the water flow was being impeded by the pits created on the river bed by sand mining. Besides, pathways leading to the quarries were also obstructing the water flow.
The farmers wing of the Tamil Maanila Congress, led by its president Puliyur A. Nagarajan, urged the PWD to ensure that water was released for drinking water purposes in all the irrigation canals in the district so as to help recharge the water table.
Meanwhile, widespread though moderate rainfall in the district brought some hope to farmers. Kuppampatti in the district received the maximum rainfall of 44 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday.
The following is the chief amount of rainfall recorded in other parts of the district during the same period (in mm): Thenparanadu 40, Nandhiyar Head 32.10, Tiruchi Town 31.10, Kovilpatti 27.40, Ponnaniyar Dam 25.20, Pullampadi 23.40, Golden Rock 15.60, Tiruchi Junction 14.20, Samayapuram 14, Kallakudi 13, Thuraiyur 12, Thuvakudi 10, Navalurkuttapattu 9.80, Lalgudi and Vathalai Anicut 8.20 each, Manapparai 7.80, Tiruchi Airport 7.70 and Thathaiyengarpet 7.50.
Several parts of Thanjavur district too received heavy to moderate rainfall on Wednesday with Thanjavur recording the maximum of 125.30 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. The rainfall recorded in other parts of the district during the same period were (in mm): Papanasam 113, Vallam 85, Tiruvaiyaru 71, Budalur 40.80, Kurungulam 39, Ayyampettai 37, Neivasal Thenpati 32.60, Madukkur 27.40, Tirukattupalli 21.20, Pattukottai 16, Orathanadu 15.40, Vettikadu 15.20, Adirampattinam 12.80 and Kumbakonam 10. The district received an average rainfall of 32.10 mm.
