Ageing water tank posing a threat to 100 primary school kids
VIRUDHUNAGAR: Chottamuri is a nondescript village in the Tiruchuli taluk of the district. But for the 850-odd people calling this rustic village their home, fear has become a perennial companion. The reason: A water tank standing on spindly legs on the premises of a primary school.
When the villagers started petitioning the officials in April 2019, they feared that the structure could collapse during the school hours, drowning the 100- odd students. The students are safe for now as schools are shut owing to the pandemic. Built a couple of decades ago, the tank’s innards (steel rods, bars) are already bared, triggering a scare.
While the villagers claim that the officials have been sitting on their plea to repair/ raze the tank, the latter refuted the allegations, listing out the future course of action. Though the tank is the main source of water for the villagers, Sathish Kumar (25), a law student who has been petitioning the collector as well as the Chief Minister Personal Cell since 2019, is certain that the tank must be razed.
Sathish told Express that recently he received a reply from the CM cell saying that the pipeline was in the pink of health and that the tank gets cleaned regularly. When Express contacted the officials, they said they have received an order to destroy the structure. “However, as this tank is the only source of water for the villagers, we are now arranging an alternative. The demolition has been delayed owing to the tank’s proximity to the school. But, it will soon be carried out by adhering to all safety protocols,” they added.