Not a drop of piped water has flowed from the taps in S. Devaraj’s house. In 2005, he moved into this flat, which is part of a gated community at Mylai Balaji Nagar on the Tambaram-Velachery Main Road, and since then he has been facing this problem. If that’s any consolation, he’s not alone in his misery. One hundred and eighty six families live in this community and all of them face the same problem. In fact, most localities in the expanded areas of the city, which include this region, don’t receive piped water supply.
So, what’s extraordinary about the water crisis faced by these residents? They have not been able to find enough water by sinking borewells. The little ground water that is found is not fit for most purposes, these residents say.
“We had the ground water sample tested and found it unfit to be used,” says Dhanushkodi, a long-time resident of the gated community. Many residents have tried different ways to see if the water in the area could be used in some way. “I got the TDS levels in the water analysed, and was shocked to see that it was 62004 TDS, worse than sea water. The water has caused considerable damage to our sanitary fittings. Now, even for the purpose of flushing, we depend on water supplied through lorries,” says Devaraj. These residents are dependent on water from private lorries and Metrowater tankers. The water, so purchased, is pumped into three overhead tanks in the gated community. Besides the monthly maintenance charges, residents spend anywhere from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,200 towards water charges.
“Owners of the gated community find it difficult to find tenants as they find the water charges high,” says K. Rajesh. Having piped Metrowater supply is the only solution for these residents. Doshi Symphony Flat Owners Association, as their welfare body is called, has sent several representations to Metrowater to lay pipelines in their area. “The local MLA, councillor, Metrowater engineers have all been assuring us for years that piped water supply will be brought to our apartment complex, but it remains a pipe dream,” says Sony Varghese..
A month ago, Metrowater engineers were seen overseeing the pipe-laying work at Kaiveli junction which will be extended along the Velachery-Tambaram Main Road.
