The Hindu : Residents complain of erratic water supply

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Residents complain of erratic water supply

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI JUNE 9. Residents from various parts of the city had only one complaint at a Water Exnora open house meeting held today,-- water supply through tankers was insufficient as much as it was erratic.

Meena Nagarajan, a resident of Vyasar Nagar near Vyasarpadi Jeeva, said the residents in her area were forced to buy water for daily use, as the tanker supply was erratic. Pipeline supply stopped many months ago.

However, some of the areas adjacent to her locality was still getting piped supply, she added.

The 150-odd households in her colony were suffering the same fate.

V.Jayaraman of Venkatachala Street, West Mambalam, had a similar problem. Metrowater tanker that supplies water to his street, reaches there after supplying to the adjacent Satyapuri Street. "We are left with only 30 per cent of the water. If we ask the driver, he says that the residents of that street gave them more money for the water. All the 100-odd households in the street are suffering," he added.

While Metrowater religiously collects water tax every half year, the supply is never so regular. Why should the consumers pay for the period when there is no water supply, asked E.R.Narayanan, an advocate.

He wondered why the State Government could not announce tax exemption for the residents during drought period as done by Karnataka. "While the taxpayers are mostly left in the lurch, the non-taxpayers enjoy the benefits provided by the Government," he added.

Metrowater Area Engineer, T.V. Prabhakar, said unlike many other cities, the city did not have a perennial source of water supply and hence faced severe scarcity when monsoon failed. Supply through lorries was five times more expensive than supply through pipelines and if the consumers stopped paying, the department would not be able to meet the expenses, he said.

In order to augment the supply, 300 pumps have been sanctioned for Metrowater area. They would be sunk wherever groundwater was found usable, he added.

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