Tiruchi Corporation has curtailed supply of drinking water to residents of Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil from twice a day to once from Tuesday.
Residents of Wards 1 to 6 in Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil, who receive supply from the Kollidam riverbed, will be supplied water only in the morning. The move follows a drop in yield at source, a Corporation press release said.
The cutback has come as a surprise especially in the wake of a comfortable drinking water supply situation in the city. Besides, the peak summer season is nearing its end.
However, it may be recalled that the civic body resorted to a similar step in July last, citing continuous dry weather and extended summer.
Though water has been released in the Cauvery, the Kollidam continues to remain bone dry as construction of a new barrage across the river is in progress at Mukkombu. This has resulted in a drop in yield for the scheme, which supplies water to the six wards, a senior civic official said.
Though the Srirangam scheme is designed to pump about 15 million litres a day (MLD), about 10-12 MLD will be pumped normally.
“As the yield has dropped below this level, we face difficulty in filling up the 10 overhead tanks in the six wards, especially those located at the tail-end of the distribution network,” the officer said.
This is only a temporary measure and once the Kollidam gets a wetting, the twice-a-day supply will be restored, officials said, urging residents to use the water judiciously.
Several other parts of the city also get supply from the Drinking Water Supply Augmentation Scheme with its source on the Kollidam. They have receiving supply only once a day.
