COIMBATORE: A group of 90 people, mostly women, came with empty pots to the Grievance Day meeting on Monday at the District Collector’s office here to highlight the lack of drinking water supply in their area.
All of them are residents of the new housing unit built by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) at Ammankulam in the city.
The 792 families in the housing unit were shifted there from the Highways Colony near Ramanathapuram early this year. So far, they are being supplied only borewell water once in a week. There is supply of drinking water.
“When we demanded drinking water connections before shifting us there, TNSCB officials assured that drinking water supply would be ensured once we shift. Seven months have passed, but there is still no water supply,” said a resident of the housing unit.
Many others complained that they developed health problems due to the continuous use of borewell water.
One resident had an accident while going to fetch drinking water from a nearby area and has been admitted to hospital with injuries.
“This is the third time that we are coming to the Grievance Day meeting with the same complaint. We have made representations to the TNSCB and the ward councillor also. They took no action,” an elderly woman told Express.
When contacted, TNSCB Executive Engineer Raja Sekar said, “The houses already have borewell water connections. Underground pipelines for drinking water have been laid. It is the Corporation that should provide taps and supply water”.
Ward 70 councillor Ganesan, who represents the area, said the `27-lakh proposal to provide drinking water connections to the housing unit is awaiting the approval of the Mayor and the Corporation Commissioner.
“Once they approve it, tenders will be floated and taps provided for every block within a month. Each block, with 12 houses, will have one tap,” he added.