Hand pumps turn show piece in city

Sources said that the CMWSSB has installed 5,100 handpumps across the city and residents particularly living in open places and slum areas would usually fetch water from such handpumps. Residents have already raised complaints that water was not coming from many handpumps, while the officials failed to take up repairing works on the same. The residents could not get water from half of the handpumps in the city. 

“Water comes occasionally from the handpump in our areas. Sometimes, it is just a drop. So, we end up using metro water tankers, which are also coming thrice in a week. Handpumps are a useful source for us and whenever we want water, we can tap the water,” said M Narayanan, a resident of  Vyasarpadi. 

Sekhar Raghavan, director, Rain Centre, said, ground water sources would usually be available in two discontinuous layers separated by hard rock into the earth. “It is a fact that whenever there is a ground water depletion, water would either be less or stopped. Rains are the only option, as it would recharge ground water,” he said. 

When contacted by DTNext, a senior official, CMWSSB, admitted that they were receiving such complaints. “We will increase the number of trips to such areas where water from handpumps is unavailable,” he added. 

Metro tankers transferring water to another private lorry, caught 

Water filled in CMWSSB’s hired water tanker bearing Registration Number TN 45 AZ 8068 in Kilpauk filling station was transferred unauthorizedly to another private tanker lorry bearing Regn.No TN 87 0181 at Inner Ring road, Kilpauk Garden Colony at 10.45 pm on May 18.

“During the inspection by the special squads of CMWSSB formed by officials to prevent such malpractices found this unauthorized transfer of water and immediately stopped the hired water tanker from further operation in CMWSSB,” said an official. 

CMWSSB authorities have given warnings not to indulge in this type of activities failing which severe action will be taken against the owner of the water tanker, the official added.