Since mid-February, the residents of Coimbatore have been facing severe shortage of drinking water. The combination of high temperature and declining groundwater level has heightened the situation, especially with the city’s water demand surging by 15 million litres a day (MLD) this summer, according to an official from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage(TWAD) Board.
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To combat this, the Coimbatore Corporation has sunk four borewells in South and East zones and is engaging with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) to secure additional water from the upper Bhavani reaches.
“We are in discussions with Tangedco officials, and we anticipate additional water supply from them by the end of this week. Meanwhile, we will continue to install borewells and utilise water tankers to address immediate needs,” said M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner.
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However, an engineering official from the civic body raised concerns about the depleting groundwater levels, particularly noting that borewells have been sunk to depths ranging from 600 to 800 feet in the south and east zones. “This level of groundwater depletion is unusual, attributed to the severity of this summer and the failure of last year’s rains,” the official said.
As on March 24, the water level at Siruvani dam, the primary source of drinking water in 22 wards of the city, stood at 18 ft against its full reservoir level of approximately 49 ft. “Compared to last year’s dire situation where the water level dropped to one foot, the current scenario is better,” the TWAD official said.
At present, the city is receiving 198 MLD of water, falling short of its requirement of 230 MLD. “For the time being, in certain areas, water supply has been reduced to once in every 14 days. We anticipate relief with the onset of summer rains, likely in April or May,” a senior civic body official said.
The reasons behind the depletion are many, with experts citing various factors contributing to the crisis. Coimbatore-based citizen-activist, L. V. Ramamurthy highlighted shortcomings such as inadequate water supply from Siruvani dam, delayed commencement of Pilloor-III water supply, and poor urban planning practices. “Moreover, improper road construction practices and delayed installation of stormwater drains have hindered rainwater percolation. There is also a glaring lack of household rainwater harvesting systems, exacerbating the crisis,” he added.
Residents in areas such as Puliyakulam, Ramanathapuram, Sivananda Colony, Sowripalayam, and Koundampalayam are bearing the brunt of water scarcity, relying on tanker deliveries by the civic body. “We urge authorities to address this issue promptly. The irregular water supply has disrupted our daily lives,” said Sanjay, a resident of Puliyakulam, echoing the frustrations of many affected citizens.