TIRUCHY: With groundwater hitting deeper depths, and no access to piped supply under the integrated drinking water scheme, residents of Karattur are shelling out financial assistance and MGNREGS wages to buy water. Borewells and open wells have gone dry in this quaint village in Thuraiyur, which is home to around 100 families.
The residents have been reeling under water crisis for the past six months, and the situation worsened in the last two months. The crisis is so severe that most of the villager have skipped bathing.
N Chellammal, a 70-year-old widow, said, “I live alone while my two sons are working in town and my daughter is married off. I eke out a living going for MGNREGS work. I spent more than Rs 1,000 on water over the last two months. How can one cook rice, which I get from PDS shop, without water?” she questioned. So little water is available that she bathes just twice in a week.
P Pichamuthu, a resident, joins in. “Bathing for us is similar to you people eating in a posh hotel. Many residents here do not bath daily. Only those who can afford bathe,” he said. P Jaya, middle-aged women grazing goats, said “I spend more than Rs 500 a week to buy water. I buy water for my cattle too and spend my savings and money from MGNREGA. Private tankers fill water from available places and sell it here and several villages in the surroundings. A tank of 1,400 litres is sold at Rs 300. Those who can afford buy a tank while others buy in plastic pots for Rs 5.
OHT operator of the village P Pandian, said “It takes at least two weeks to fill a single OHT from the well depending on how much water springs out. Only one OHT can be filled at a time, I cannot distribute water from half-filled tank because it may lead to conflicts.” He added that residents raised concerns about the quality of water from the OHT if it was stored for more than 15 days.
The story of water struggle for this differently-abled elderly couple is heart-wrenching. Duraisamy(65) and Samboornam (55), whose two sons live in towns, spend their monthly financial-aid of Rs 1500 through PwD Scheme to get water for drinking and other uses.
Block Development Officials tried sinking borewells, but they did not yield water. The villagers have requested the district administration to supply water through tankers at least thrice in a week. Collector said block level officials have been instructed to ensure water supply in villages.