‘No action taken to plug leaks in Hogenakkal supply line’

TIRUPATTUR: The Hogenakkal water supply scheme pipelines which provide water to many town panchayats and habitations in Tirupattur district have been leaking for over two months in the Natrampalli Town Panchayat with no action being taken despite complaints by the local body’s councillors.

Ward 14 Councillor L Gurusev said that water has been leaking for over two months in three different locations.

“The leaks are near the Jolarpet Railway School, the Kudiyanakuppam School, and near another school at Thompathimedu.”

“What irks us (councillors) is that despite our informing the Town Panchayat Executive Officer(EO) Nandakumar, there has been no action and when we ask him about this, he usually passes on the buck to TWAD (TN Water and Drainage Board) officials in Vellore,” Gurusev added.

Asked if supply to the local body was affected due to the continued water leakage he said, “There is no issue yet as we have bores. Even otherwise the leak increases in volume when pumping starts at Jolarpet head works where 40 horsepower motors function nonstop for 12 hours at a stretch.”

Another councillor seeking anonymity said that one of the leaks was near the house of former AIADMK minister and Tirupattur district party secretary KC Veeramani, but he too does not seem to have noticed it.

While Town Panchayat EO Nandakumar could not be reached for comment, Tirupattur Collector D Baskar Pandian when asked said, “I was not notified of the issue. But I will look into it and take remedial action at the earliest.”

Sources revealed that if the leaks were not rectified there is every chance of them becoming bigger and when this happens it will affect water supply not only to Natrampalli but to other areas due to a drop in pressure.

Councillor Gurusev said water coming from the Hogenakkal supply scheme has been leaking for over two months in three different locations