Collector rules out dry run' in Thoothukudi

Even as several parts of the state continue to reel under a severe shortage of water, the Thoothukudi administration has sought to allay the fears of people, claiming that the dams in the district had adequate storage to see through the summer.

Addressing newspersons on Monday, Thoothukudi collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday said, “Water storage in dams, including Papanasam, Manimuthar, and Servalar, is sufficient to cater to the needs of people in Tirunelveli and neighbouring Thoothukudi districts. We can also supply water to Virudhunagar. There would not be any problem in the supply of water till the end of June.”

According to Nanduri, “On an average, around 300 cusecs of water is required to cater to the daily needs of people in these districts. Due to the adequate storage available in these dams at present, water supply would not be affected till June 30.”

Nanduri said precautionary measures had been taken to ensure uninterrupted supply of water in areas where there was a problem in pipelines.

“Presently, water is being supplied through tanker lorries by the corporation authorities in a few areas. Of the 20 million gallons per day (MGD) of water required for Thoothukudi district, 7 MGD is being supplied for drinking purpose as of now. Besides, a limited quantity of water is being supplied for industrial purpose,” he said, adding that rainfall may be expected soon as the onset of southwest monsoon was imminent

Further, he said the district plastic ban enforcement authorities were keenly monitoring to prevent the usage of banned plastics, which cause harm to the environment.

Meanwhile, with the lifting of the model code of conduct following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections, the weekly grievance day meetings resumed on Monday.