CHENNAI: Nearly two weeks after a successful trial run of the Madambakkam-Chitlapakkam pipeline project, residents still await launch of the scheme. In the midst of a severe water crisis, there is no reason to delay the launch of the project, especially since the project has been completed, residents say. The project, completed at a cost of Rs 3 crore, sources water from two wells sunk in Madambakkam lake from which water is pumped to a two-lakh litre tank at Chitlapakkam before being supplied to residents.
While the panchayat has come up with a multitude of reasons for not launching the scheme, residents say they have reason to believe that they are waiting for dates from a politician to launch it.“Water scarcity around here is severe and at a time when private tankers are charging `1,200 for 6,000 litres, we can’t afford to waste time,” said Sunil Jayaram of Chitlapakkam Rising.
N Baskaran, a Chitlapakkam resident said, “ Once the trial run was successful, we were expecting water to be released, but it has not happened so far. When we went to meet the officials, they said that dates were being discussed.”Speaking to Express, a panchayat official said that officials were finishing up ‘last minute works’, resulting in the delay in launch.“There is still a lot of dirt that needs to be cleaned in the pipes before supplying water. I will not be able to tell when the project will be launched,” the official said.
Shortage of drinking water
The panchayat currently supplies around nine lakh litres, grossly inadequate for a population of around 60,000 at Chitlapakkam.On the severity of water crisis, Dayanand Krishnan of Chitlapakkam said the residents depended on private tankers to a large extent.“As it were, drinking water connections have been given only to 3,000 houses. In the last ten years, no new connections have been approved by the panchayat,” he said. Meanwhile, residents have obtained permission to start desilting the lake from Sunday, with help from NGOs.