Residents of Valasaravakkam are already facing the brunt of water shortage this summer as they manage their daily needs with four pots that they get on alternate days.
Like many other added areas of the city, residents of Majestic Colony and Brindavan Nagar in Valasaravakkam depend on supply through taps and street tanks for drinking water. However, over the past few days, they have had to make do with limited supply of water through street tanks. “I get to fill only four or five pots from the tank once in two days. If water is supplied daily, I may be able to get to store more pots of water,” said a resident of Majestic Colony.
Residents of Pattinapakkam and Srinivasapuram too complain of similar problems. N. Dasappan, a resident of Srinivasapuram, said that additional lorry trips would help residents cope up with the water shortage. Water must be provided regularly through hand pumps.
The city’s four reservoirs are fast-drying up and they have only storage of 35 per cent of the total capacity. The suspension of Krishna water, a vital source for augmenting supply, from Andhra Pradesh has also meant more stress on the water bodies.
In a bid to overcome the water shortage in the peak summer, Metrowater is planning to increase the supply through street tanks and hand pumps. At present, Chennai gets 100 million litres of water a day from Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district.
The water agency is identifying new sources to offset the gap in availability of water. Besides 15 mld from well fields in Tamaraipakkam and Poondi, measures are afoot to source 20 mld from borewells in Neyveli aquifer and 55 mld from other sources in Neyveli.
At present, of the total 831 mld provided to the city through various means, nearly 24 mld of water is supplied through tankers both in city and added areas. Sources said that this would be increased as demand is growing from areas that are not served with piped supply. “We are focussing on increasing supply through street tanks and hand pumps, particularly in added areas. Tanker trips would be increased to provide water in small lanes,” said sources.
Only 5,928 street tanks of the 9,263 tanks are being used now. Besides repairing them, nearly 1,400 tanks would be built. Also, 2,040 hand pumps will be put up .
In order to ensure that the existing supply of 80 mld is provided to added areas, 100 more borewells would be sunk, sources said.
