Chennai: If you think that the recent southwest monsoon surplus rains over Greater Chennai comprising Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur have brought adequate fresh water ending the city’s drinking water crisis, you are wrong.
Close to 30 per cent of the area in Greater Chennai is still suffering drinking water shortage, confirmed Chennai metro water official sources. Interestingly, T. Nagar, Nandanam and West Mambalam — the areas selected for key projects under the smart city project – are also facing drinking water shortage.
“In fact, the situation is such that retired DGP and Mylapore MLA R. Natraj, known for his humble approach among residents, is left embarrassed as civic officials continue to ignore the drinking water complaints raised by the ruling party MLA”, fumed Vijayakumar, a resident of Nandanam Extension. “This is October and we are facing water shortage in the heart of Chennai”, he added.
Residents are in enormous pain and agony, very tired of making representations with the metro water administration. On Monday, a metro water official inspected our ward 116 and said the pipelines are fully eroded as it was laid a few decades back. Without giving a solution the official walked away, he added. “In 2015, Chennai metro authorities have taken up the pipe replacement works in Kosapet since then there is no supply of water and the irony is that residents pay their metro water tax and water charges without any supply”, said Mrs Sekar, a resident of the Venkatesan Naicken street, Kosapaet. For the past two years, the pipe replacement work is kept pending and now the metro officials say the work is suspended due to the monsoon, she added.
When contacted, a metro water official in north Chennai said that the pipeline replacement works has been stalled in Pulianthope and Kosapet due to objections raised by the Chennai corporation insisting not to dig roads during monsoon. “We will complete the project by December and ensure supply,” the official added.
However, metro water officials in south Chennai and managing director Satyaprata Sahoo were not available for comments.
