Shrill cries for water echo across Dindigul

Women picketing roads and laying siege to government offices has become a daily affair

June 22, 2019 09:25 pm | Updated 09:25 pm IST - Dindigul

DMK cadre along with women staging a demonstration at Reddiyarchathiram near Dindigul on Saturday.

DMK cadre along with women staging a demonstration at Reddiyarchathiram near Dindigul on Saturday.

Dindigul district may present a picture of greenery, surrounded by the Palani hills and Sirumalai. But, the region has come to be identified with water shortage. This year, the issue has taken a serious dimension, plagued by many factors, including deficit rainfall, erratic supply, inadequate infrastructure like repaired motors and defunct pipelines.

Since the past few months, almost everyday people have been gathering at various places, protesting and demanding water. Women picketing roads and laying siege to government offices with empty pots has become a daily story. Though officials say that steps are being taken to address the problem, there's no end to complaints from the public.

Recently, the four DMK MLAs from the district, met the Collector and submitted a petition seeking water for their respective assembly constituencies. They alleged that the Government was showing a step-motherly attitude towards the four constituencies of Athoor, Palani, Oddanchatram and Natham as the MLAs were from the opposition party.

Panchayat unions

Athoor MLA I. Periyasamy, led a massive protest on Saturday outside the panchayat union office in Reddiyarchatram, in which over 2,500 men and women took part, condemning the slackness of the government in finding a solution to water issues.

Mr. Periyasamy claimed that there was enough water in the Cauvery Integrated Drinking Water Project but the government was showing apathy in ensuring its proper supply.

“The project was conceived and implemented during the DMK regime, when I was the minister. After that, the AIADMK government has not executed a single water project in the district. Moreover, the existing projects are left uncared for,” he said.

“The sump at Gujiliamparai has enough water but there's a leakage in it through which 10 (MLD) of water is wasted every day. The TWAD Board has failed to plug leaks, repair defunct motors and pipelines, because of which the water has not reach people in different blocks, ” he added.

In the dry block of Reddiyarchatram under Athoor assembly constituency, he alleged that villages have not received water for months together.

“The water level in Kamarajar lake has reached minus for the first time in history. Such severe is the crisis and there's a need to ensure that schemes like Natham Integrated Drinking Water Project are working properly. However, no maintenance work has been carried out so far,” said Periyasamy, claiming that he had spent over ₹10 crore during his tenure as a minister to develop water supply infrastructure in Athoor.

Dindigul Corporation

The scene in areas under the Dindigul Corporation is no better as people from different wards complain of either erratic or no supply, apart from contaminated water in certain areas. R Vijayakumar, a former councillor of ward 30, said that water supply was erratic.

“Also, the water trickles slowly, making it difficult for people. Even after three hours, only three pots get filled,” he said.

Vijayakumar also blamed it on the large scale corruption in the laying of JICA pipelines.

“The execution is shoddy with poor quality pipes that are already in a bad shape. The Government has also increased water tax three times. People who were paying ₹500 are now paying ₹1,700 as water tax but still no water has reached them,” he said.

K. Balabharathi, former MLA, said that the district administration should convene a meeting of elected representatives, officials and stakeholders.

“They should assess the present storage in the different schemes and accordingly supply,” she said. She added that private players have taken advantage of the situation.

“Private water tankers are fleecing people, with exorbitant rates. The government can instead buy water from the tankers with the sanctioned fund and supply it to people,” she suggested. “Around the Kamarajar lake, private water companies have sunk borewells and set up water plants. There should be action against such exploitation of natural resources at a time when common people are struggling to meet daily water needs,” she said.

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