Residents go sleepless in Kannagi Nagar as Metrowater supply comes at odd hours

“Even though the drinking water is supplied on alternate days, we are getting water at 2 am or 3 am in the morning. Due to this, we are forced to get up so early or stay awake,” a resident, seeking anonymity, said.

The resident alleged that the water supply is insufficient for the families and they must use the Metrowater to drink and wash. We have been requesting the Metrowater to regularise the supply timings. Owing to the odd hour supply, many working women are affected,” the resident pointed out.

Ezhil Nagar-Kannagi Nagar settlement is one of the biggest settlements in Chennai where the slum dwellers from the city have been resettled. The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board had built nearly 25,000 dwelling units and the resettlement drive is still ongoing.

When contacted, a Metrowater official said they have directed the contractor, who is in charge of supplying water to the tenements, to supply water in morning hours and “if there is any contradiction, we will follow-up the issue and take action.”

“Usually, we fill the main sumps and supplementary sumps during night hours and supply water to the residents in the morning. Even though our source is decreasing, new families are being resettled in the apartments,” the official added.

Replying to the allegation of insufficient water supply, the official said that they could not dig borewells as the groundwater quality is poor in the locality. “The only source for the Sholinganallur area is the desalination plant in Nemmeli. To ration the supply, we have drafted a schedule to provide water on alternate days in Ezhil Nagar-Kannagi Nagar apartments,” the MTC officla said.