Water leakage leaves locals worried of shortage

The Sriperumbudur town panchayat consists of 15 wards and the population in the village is getting increased gradually due to the presence of many industrial units. There are nearly 70,000 people residing in the village. The main water source for the village is from the two overhead water tanks, one with a capacity of over two lakh litres while the other tank can store 60,000 litres.

Local sources said the pipeline which connected the Palar river to the smaller water tank was damaged and the water began to flow on the streets a few weeks ago. After the water flooded the streets like storm water, residents alerted the officials about it, requesting them to repair the pipeline. However, no action has been taken as yet.

“We have brought the issue to the attention of the RDO, tahsildar and panchayat officials. But no one seems to care about the water which is being wasted for many weeks now,” said Mohammed from Sriperumbudur.

The residents said that they are getting water regularly from the big water tank. But with thousands of litres of water getting wasted every day, they are concerned that it may affect them in the summer. “We remember how we suffered without a pot of water last year. So the officials should think about it and take steps to repair the damaged pipelines at the earliest,” said another resident.

When asked, Sriperumbudur Town Panchayat executive officer Dhanraj said it was the responsibility of TWAD Board to repair the pipeline, adding that the board officials have been informed about the matter. “It will be done in a few days. If not, the Town Panchayat itself will complete the work,” he added.