Delayed water supply irks residents

Tanks and pipelines are in place, but residents of Kavundampalayam and Vadavalli are not getting periodical supply of water.

Kavundampalayam and Vadavalli residents have seen water supply situation go from bad to worse in the past few weeks.

The residents say that prior to the Coimbatore Corporation annexing the Kavundampalayam Municipality and Vadavalli Town Panchayat in 2011, they got water once in four days. After the Corporation took over, they got water once in eight days and now, for the past year or so, the residents get water only once in 15 days, complains M. Ravi, a resident of Bhavan Gardens, Thillai Nagar.

The Coimbatore Corporation distributes the water it gets from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board under the Kavundampalayam-Vadavalli scheme.

The Board draws nearly 10.50 million litres a day (mld) water from River Bhavani, near Nellithurai, takes it to a treatment plant in Chellappanur, pumps it to Veerapandi Pirivu and from there to the first of the 11 distribution tanks in Kavundampalayam.

It implemented the scheme around eight years ago to augment water supply to the areas, which were until then getting water under the Siruvani scheme. The Board’s objective was to supply seven mld to Kavundampalayam and the rest to Vadavalli. But a few years ago, it included Somayampalayam Panchayat under the scheme, diverting 0.1 mld.

The residents say though the Corporation claims it has been distributing 3.50 mld, the water they receive is only once in 15 days and the quantity supplied is grossly inadequate.

“The Corporation supplies water for only three hours,” rues Mr. Ravi.

Vadavalli resident and consumer activist K. Kathirmathiyon says the residents, who are dependent on the Kavundampalayam-Vadavalli scheme, have been left in the lurch by the Corporation, which needs to address distribution issues.

Sources in the Corporation say that until April 2018, the Corporation had maintained once in eight to 10 days supply and the situation turned worse in May and June because of disruption in supply by the Board, which has been unable to ensure continuous supply.

The civic body’s inquiries with the Board have revealed that disruption in power supply at Nellithurai and Chellappanur have been the reason.

Confirming the disruption in power supply, a TWAD Board officer, who wishes not to be identified, says if the Tangedco stops supply for even 10 minutes a day, the impact on supply on the residents will be for nearly 24 hours because the Board cannot switch on the supply immediately.

It has to gradually step up supply by switching on motors one at a time until it reaches the 10.45 mld stage.

This has a cascading effect as the Board will have to repeat the gradual switching on of motors at first Nellithurai, then the treatment plant in Chellappanur, then Veerapandi Pirivu and then Kavundampalayam.

By the time the water is ready to reach the residents, they will have missed their usual supply cycle and that is the reason for the delay.

The officer also says that power disruption in Nellithurai has been high because of trees falling on power lines due to strong winds and rain.

Mr. Kathirmathiyon says that if trees snapping the power lines is the reason then the Tangedco should look at laying underground cable for the Kavundampalayam-Vadavalli scheme.