Successive bursts in the drinking water pumping mains of Pirattiyur Combined Drinking Water Supply Scheme, consequent to its shifting to facilitate the construction of a bridge across the Ariyar near Punganur, has disrupted water supply to large parts of the city over the past few days.
Irate residents of Edamalaipattipudur and neighbouring colonies and Ramji Nagar resorted to road blockades on Thursday demanding immediate restoration of supply.
With the scheme being maintained by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, corporation authorities appear to be caught in a bind. According to corporation sources, 11 overhead drinking water tanks (OHTs) within the city limits are being fed under the scheme, which also caters to 19 wayside rural habitations.
The city gets about 3.5 to 4 million litres a day from the scheme, but in recent months there have been complaints from corporation councillors over drop in the quantum of supply, causing problems in filling up the OHTs. The problem is said to have been caused by 17 new public fountains put up in wayside villages. The latest problem has been caused by successive bursts in the water mains after the TWAD officials shifted the pipeline to facilitate the construction of the bridge across the Ariyar. A break in the water mains proved to be the final straw.
Residents in at least three city wards (38, 39 and 40) have been hit hard by the disruption in supply. Among the affected areas are several densely populated pockets, including K.K.Nagar, Iyappa Nagar, Edamalaipattipudur, Ramji Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Thangaiyya Nagar, and Udayanpatti.
Paul Guna Loganath, a social worker and resident of Pappa Colony at Edamalaipattipudur, told The Hindu that residents in the area have not received water in their house taps for nearly a week now. “Most of the households in the area do not have borewell and many residents are entirely dependent on the corporation supply,” he said.
Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani, in a press release issued later in the day, said steps were taken to supply drinking water through seven tanker lorries to the affected parts . Owing to public demand for increasing the supply, 11 lorries were pressed into service on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 60 tanker loads of water were supplied.
On the instruction of Mayor A.Jaya two private lorries have been mobilised and a total of 13 tanker lorries to supply water to the residents on Thursday.
Residents could report any short supply and requirement of water supply to the civic officials by calling the offices of the junior engineer, Sathanur (telephone number: 2458558 for wards 38 and 39) or Crawford (2472862-ward 40) or the following junior engineers concerned: K.Balasubramanian (ward 38) – 9244637065; K.Rengasamy (ward 39) – 9443295493; R.Krishnamoorthy (ward 40-Edamalaipattipudur) – 9443081883 and P.Mathivanan (ward 40- Ramji Nagar/Pirattiyur) – 9443954707, he said. By evening, corporation officials said that the broken drinking water mains were repaired and pumping of water was resumed on a trial basis.
