Source : The Hindu Date : 02.07.2009

Consumer body calls for transparency in releasing water connections

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Consumer Cause has called for transparency in the process of releasing drinking water connections for multi-storeyed apartments.

In a letter to the Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply, the consumer welfare organisation’s secretary, K. Kathirmathiyon, said there were no clearly prescribed norms for the release of the connections.

He also alleged that there was discrepancy and discrimination in the release of connection and the quantum of water supplied to the consumers in different flats.

While some apartments had three or four individual connections, some others were provided with only one connection (bulk connection).

Even for apartments with 40 houses only one connection was provided and in some it was two.

Promoters of apartments claimed in their advertisements that adequate water would be available.

In case of individual houses everyone was aware that they would be given one separate water connection.

But in case of flats no one was sure of the quantum of water that they would receive and no norms were prescribed.

It may be based on availability of water / pressure etc., at a particular place.

But no mechanism was in place for the people to know the facts about the supply.

The number of connections and size of the pipe should be proportionate to the number of flats.

If the Coimbatore Corporation was not in a position to provide adequate water in a particular area, it should not approve the construction of flats there.

The Corporation had a separate water scheme for the city and the wayside towns were able to get a small amount of water from the Corporation for their needs.

While the Corporation was very cautious on providing water connections to the flats, the Executive Officers of the Town Panchayats around the Corporation were “very generous” in providing the connections.

An apartment of 40 flats in the Corporation area was provided with one connection and in some cases two.

But in town panchayats such as Vadavalli 52 individual connections had been provided to as many flats.

For an apartment with 82 flats, 82 individual connections were provided.

This “generosity” totally affected the distribution of water to the individual houses elsewhere in the town.

Therefore, it was important that the Government issue clear guidelines on the number of connections to be released for apartments, the consumer activist said.