CHENNAI: The residents of Ayyappanthangal rue that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) works in their area are not being carried out scientifically. They allege that the workmen are carelessly digging pits to lay pipelines and are damaging electricity cables in the process.
The JJM, a Central project, proposes to offer 55 litres of water per day per household by the year, 2024.
“The workmen do not care about anything that is underground. In the last couple of days, they damaged the underground electricity wires of three households in VGN Nagar,” said a resident Senthil Kumar.
He added, “When we contacted the linemen helpline, they demanded Rs 4,500. When we asked why is it so costly, they said Rs 1,000 was for the material and Rs 3,500 material charges. Why should we pay for no mistake of ours,” said Senthil.
However when EB officials were contacted by Express, they said public need not pay for the wires on road. “The residents only need to pay if the EB wires inside their homes are damaged. For anything on the road, the government bears the cost. We will immediately inform the local official to address the issue,” said a Tangedco official.
The residents also worry about lack of safety. “After recent rains, the pits were filled with water. Vehicles got stuck in the potholes and pedestrians slipped and fell into the pit. This can even prove fatal,” said R Swetha, another resident.