DHARMAPURI: With summer approaching, residents of Dharmapuri district fear there will be drinking water scarcity. On Wednesday, the flow in the Cauvery at Hogenakkal was 300 cusecs. However, TWAD officials allayed their fears.
The ‘Hogenakkal Drinking Water and the Fluorosis Mitigation project’ (HDWFMP) is the source of drinking water to three municipalities, 17 town panchayats and 7,639 rural habitations in the district supplying over 167 MLD of water to over 34 lakh people. On Wednesday morning, the water level at Hogenakkal dropped from 1000 cusecs to 300 cusecs.
Speaking to TNIE, R Rajaganapathi from Pennagaram said, “Last year, till the month of September we had an unprecedented heat wave which left our lands completely parched. The HDWFMP ensured we got water to drink even though we did not receive the supply every day. This year, temperature has already started rising and water in the Cauvery river is dropping, so we are alarmed.”
Another resident, S Guru said, “We have eight dams and several dozen PWD lakes, but the HDWFMP remains as a key drinking water source. Last year, TWAD officials struggled to draw water after inflow dropped below 100 cusecs. They had to pile sandbags to collect water. So seeing the inflow levels dropping now, we are worried.”
TWAD Executive Engineer S Ravikumar said, “Last year, the lowest inflow was 104 cusecs in peak summer. Even then we were able to provide water to both Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Our pumping station has the capacity to provide water even if inflow drops to 64 cusecs. But this situation is highly unlikely to occur. People need not be concerned.”