The Hindu 17.08.2010
Official apathy, cause for water crisis
K. Raju
Water, water everywhere:Large quantum of drinking water flooding the street in Vivekananda Nagar in Dindigul on Monday owing to the damage in the main pipe line.
DINDIGUL: Even as the Dindigul Municipality has implemented three drinking water projects to maintain drinking water supply, Dindigul has been reeling under acute drinking water crisis.
At present, water supply has been made to majority of wards once in 10 days, thanks to lethargic attitude of the Dindigul Municipality, breakage of pipelines at various places and poor storage in Athoor dam.
Road picketing for drinking water is a routine affair and people wandering on streets for water with empty pots are a common sight.
At the same time, large quantum of drinking water flooding the streets at Vivekananda Nagar, owing to the damage of main water pipe line is also a common sight.
Water has been flowing like flood on the streets for the past several months.
No one takes any care to rectify the repair and save thousands of litres of water being wasted.
Large pool of drinking water stagnated at various places in the town has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, creating health hazards to people of this area.
Reasons for the crisis
The Cauvery drinking water project, which was implemented at a cost of Rs.106 crore, has been covering more than 60 per cent of the population. But frequent breakage of main drinking water pipeline disrupted the supply.
Poor management and inaction of municipal officials are the main reasons for the water crisis prevailing in the town.
Now, the Dindigul Municipality has been supplying water to various wards once in 10 days.
The situation is worse in high ridge areas as they get water once in 12 days.
Poor storage level and erratic power supply has turned the situation from bad to worse. Water level has gone down below six feet (total height 21 feet) in Athoor dam, the life line of Dindigul, Chinnalapatti and 17 way-side villages. Yield from three wells sunk on the Vaigai channel at Peranai in Nilakttai taluk too is not encouraging.
Plugging of breaches and proper distribution of water from existing water sources will solve the crisis to a larger extent, said the local people.
Indiscriminate digging of earth for underground drainage project is the main reason for breach of pipeline in Vivekananda Nagar, said municipal officials.
