The Hindu 04.01.2014
Family donates well to civic body
This is a contribution that might prove face-saving for
the Salem Corporation that struggles to supply enough drinking water to
all its 60 Wards.
A family in Ward 50 has donated an
80-foot well to the civic body so that it could improve water supply to
the people of a particular locality in the ward. The well was given away
in June 2012, but the gesture came to light on Friday, with Minister
for Highways and Minor Ports Edappadi K. Palaniswami inaugurating the
supply and felicitating the donor family at a function.
Spread
over 729 square feet at S.R.M. Thottam in Shanmuga Nagar, the
60-year-old well belongs to the family of S.M. Periyasamy, a farmer who
died a few years ago.
The well was lying idle for many years as it could not be maintained after the family sold its agricultural lands.
People
then began dumping waste into it, P. Bhaskar, son of Periyasamy, said
on Friday. But, the well had never gone dry, even during the harshest of
summers.
To ensure that it was put to good use, Mr.
Bhaskar’s mother Dhanalakshmi, sisters Agilandeswari and Vasavi and
brother P. Sridhar decided to donate the well to the Corporation so that
the well water could be provided to the residents in the neighbourhood.
The
well was registered in the name of Corporation Commissioner on June 4,
2012 on the condition that water drawn from it would be supplied only to
1,350 families in the area.
Corporation officials
said that various works including, desilting, installation of electric
motor and construction of walls around the well were carried out at a
cost of Rs. 31 lakh in the past one year. An overhead tank with a
capacity of one lakh litres was renovated and water from the well would
be stored in it.
Residents in the area said that
Corporation supplied water once in 15 days and they were forced to fetch
water from other areas. They hoped that the well would help overcome
the shortage they had been experiencing so long.
It was lying idle for many years after the family sold its agricultural lands.
