CHENNAI: People in the Kolathur Assembly constituency alleged that they have been left without piped drinking water supply for the past four days due to a main water pipeline burst on GNT Road in Puzhal on May 19. The incident has affected thousands of families, forcing them to depend on bubble-top water cans for cooking and other needs.
Residents stated that there was no response to their calls by Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), and that the efficiency of tanker water supplies had scaled down because it became a regular area and was no longer the CM’s constituency.
Denying the allegations, a senior CMWSSB official said, “The 1,200 mm diameter pipeline was old and damaged, which affected a large number of areas. We received multiple calls from residents in Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, and Ambattur zones, and supplied water through tankers and lorries as much as possible.”
The affected residents live in Senthil Nagar, Thillai Nagar, Jayanthi Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Venus Nagar, and several other neighbourhoods. Among them was V Shanmuga Sundaram, a resident of Senthil Nagar, who fumed, “The piped supply has been suspended for the past three days. We were not given any prior information about the suspension, and no alternatives were provided.”
Echoing his views, A Sangeetha of Thillai Nagar said, “I have a baby at home. We’re struggling to meet our daily water needs. Despite multiple calls, officials rarely respond. This was never witnessed in the last five years when it was the CM’s constituency.”
Another resident of Thillai Nagar, lamented, “Workers supplying water with 12 KL tankers are only serving houses that bribe them. And, some households in the area have started receiving water with very low pressure.”
The old pre-stressed concrete pipe was damaged across a five-metre stretch. For the past few days, repair work has been carried out on a war footing. “On the night of May 22, the work was completed, and the section was replaced with a seven-metre pipe. Drinking water pumping resumed on the afternoon of May 23, with 90% of the supply already distributed to the distribution stations in these zones. From tomorrow onwards, regular piped supply will be restored,” an official added.