CHENNAI: Residents of TVS Nagar in Korattur are shelling out between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 per month to buy water from private suppliers as the metro water supply board in the area has often been facing contamination issues.
TVS Nagar which comes under Ward 83 in Chennai comprises around 2,000 households. Similar issues are echoed by residents of Ward 84 too. The residents themselves bear the expenses of cleaning the sump and the overhead tank whenever contamination occurs.
At present, the board supplies water twice every week to TVS Nagar. However, the allegation of water contamination has remained unaddressed for more than two years now. In addition to spending around Rs 5,000 as tax and water charges annually, the residents must put up with additional expenses due to the contamination issues.
“Water is supplied for four hours twice a week. However, we largely depend on tank supply as the metro water is often contaminated and unusable. Whenever there is a complaint, metro water officials dewater the pipeline as a temporary fix. But we want a permanent solution to the issue,” said K R Kannan, a resident and activist.
Similar issues are reported in other areas of Korattur as well. Prasanna Kumar, a resident of Central Avenue in Ward 84 alleged that water supplied to their houses is also contaminated. “The water becomes cleaner after 10-15 minutes of supply. So, until then, we have to pump out the water and then start storing it,” he further added.
Meanwhile, a senior metro water board official said that they dewater the entire pipeline whenever contamination is reported. “We have tested the water being supplied and it is clear. Some pipeline damages that may have occurred due to infrastructure works, were identified and immediately fixed. We have also asked the residents to clear the sumps at regular intervals. Any leakage will be resolved immediately from our end,” the official said.