The Hindu                19.04.2013

Public anger rising over water crisis

FILLING THE GAPS:Water tankers being filled at the Arasaradi pumping station.— Photo: S. James

Madurai was one of the few cities in the state that
could claim to have never faced a drinking water shortage even in peak
summer.

Now that is changing. Today, the temple city
is gripped by acute water scarcity, and its residents are agitated.
Since early March, there have been road blocks and picketing of official
residences, including the camp office of the Collector.

The
city’s elders were apprehensive that Madurai was rapidly heading
towards becoming an arid wasteland. They recalled that, save for some
pockets in interior Usilampatti and Perayur belts, or around Avaniapuram
and beyond Melur, water was not a problem in most localities. With the
water table sinking across the district, the borewells are running dry,
according to TWAD Board engineers. Alternatives are being worked out,
but not quickly enough. Residents are in no mood to listen to empty
official assurances.

The comments aimed at officialdom are telling. “Taps are mere ornamental pieces,” “Taps are nothing more than a child’s toy.”

Officials retort by saying, “People rush to buy water, but also gold.”

The
district administration says it is addressing the water crisis on a war
footing. Presiding over a joint meeting involving all officials and
representatives from the Corporation, TWAD Board, PWD, Rural
Development, Local Bodies Block Development Officers and Panchayats,
Collector Anshul Mishra, along with his core team, devised a ‘water
management plan’ exclusively for Madurai.

As a first
step, the district’s need was assessed geographically. The bone-dry
pockets were spotted. The borewells were inspected and depending on the
availability, it was either deepened or new ones were dug.

For residential localities, where the water sources had gone dry, water distribution was planned through water tankers.

The
population was studied for this purpose and, accordingly, potable water
delivered at the doorstep. The question of how to reach the masses
arose.

Special Cell

The
officials established a special cell wherein the public can complain
about their water needs by disclosing their name, address et al. The
exercise, which began from March 27, started working step-by-step, Mr.
Mishra said. The water management is in place. “My sincere appeal to the
public is to use water judiciously. I am confident that the crisis can
be overcome.” The information kiosk at the Collector’s office can be
reached at 0452 2526888 and 2521444 during office hours and on all
working days. The Corporation of Madurai can be reached at 0452 2530433.
Public can also inform at 72006 50582, officials said and added that
Facebook of Madurai Collector too received complaints.

In
the last three weeks beginning March 27, the Collector’s core team
staff members handling water-related complaints said that 442 calls were
attended to and so far 87 per cent was attended on receipt. Calls
received in the morning were first registered and passed on to the
jurisdiction officers concerned for further action. The time taken to
deliver was followed and recorded.

The district was
categorised as urban, rural, village panchayat, town panchayat and
municipalities. Interestingly, the complaints of non-availability of
water were very high only in zone two of Madurai Corporation, while on
the other hand there was no complaint from municipalities. Baffled, the
officials said that either the people were unaware of such a special
cell functioning, or they should be having sufficient water. There were
38 complaints from village panchayats and three from town panchayats
till date. Complaints of theft of water and illegal sucking through
motors was high from areas such as Melamadai, Gomathipuram, K. Pudur,
Tahsildar Nagar, Sellur in the city and Melur, Kottampatti,
Chockanathapuram and others.

When power is off

According
to a local body official, in Aritappatti near Melur, the water
distribution through taps was carried out only after the electricity was
switched off in the locality. In Tahsildar Nagar and Sadasiva Nagar,
when some residents resisted the move of officials to check for illegal
tapping, police assistance was sought, another official recalled. In a
surprise drive in Sellur on a single day, 13 motors were seized, they
noted. Apart from this, complaints of gutter water mixing, tap leakages
in Kochadai and Simakkal were received and duly attended. There were
also calls from Kottampatti that some people indulged in selling packet
water, which was brown in colour as the alternative to drinking water.
The district administration has appealed to the public not to buy them,
but urged people to report the matter to officials.

COLLECTOR’S OFFICE:

0452 2526888, 2521444 and 72006 50582

CORPORATION:

0452 2530433 and on FACEBOOK.