With borewells running dry, residents rely on Chennai Metro Water

By Venkatesan Parthasarathy & Sahaya Novinston Lobo  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 10th July 2017 10:39 AM  |  

Last Updated: 10th July 2017 10:40 AM  | 

A tanker draining water into a sump at GV Ashirwad Apartments | Samuel Merigala

CHENNAI: Residents of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Ambattur and Royapuram, areas which recorded the highest fall in groundwater levels since 2016, are forced to rely on Chennai Metro Water with borewells running dry. However, most residents have switched to buying water from private water tankers. Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Ambattur and Royapuram recorded a 2.88m, 2.35m and 2.19m drop in water levels respectively between March 2016 and March 2017.

In Thiruvengadam Nagar, a residential part of Ambattur, most borewells in apartments surrounding TI School have stopped yielding water. “We buy 13,000 litres of water every other day ever since our 200-foot bore ran dry,” said a resident of GV Ashirwad Apartments, who has lived there for 10 years.
The adjacent flat, however, has battled the dropping water levels with a 600-foot borewell. “Though water is available beyond 300 feet, it is very salty,” said A Dhoni, who recently started supplying water.

Luxury and bigger apartment complexes attract the attention of Metro Water but smaller apartments (less than 10 houses) face the brunt. “We arrange 800 litres of water per resident daily,” said an official from Kochar Panchsheel, an apartment complex with 430 houses in Ambattur Industrial Estate.

It is the same case in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar near Perambur, where private water tankers make daily trips. “People prefer our water to Metro Water as the latter cannot be used for drinking,” said the owner of Thirumurugan water supply.

Some residents, however, are wary of both Metro and private water. Govindasamy, a resident of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, owns a 100-foot borewell. “I get very little water from the bore and am forced to wait for the Metro Water which is released on alternate days,” he said. Govindasamy plans to deepen his borewell by another 100 feet if the cleaning proves futile.

Hunt for water has become part of life for Royapuram locals, especially slum dwellers. Muthupandi, who lives in an apartment with 20 other families, says bore water is unfit for consumption. Deep bores have turned water salty and residents have to depend on tankers.
While the middle and upper-class strata buy water in tanker loads that are drained into underground sumps, low-income families buy water in `8 plastic pots. “Men and children bathe every day and the women bathe only once in two days,” said Mahalakshmi, while waiting in line. “Each family has a mutual understanding of how many containers are filled by each member.”

Metro water was supplying 800 MLD until December when local reservoirs such as Chembarambakkam, Veeranam and Neyveli started drying up, they cut the water supply to half. With groundwater evading borewells, private water suppliers are making a meal out of the situation.