Patchy water supply hits 10 Irula homes in Krishnagiri

School education department officials visited and assured to readmit the students back to school.

KRISHNAGIRI: The State and Union governments are implementing various schemes to supply water crisis to rural areas, but none of it has reached Gundalakuttai, a settlement of Irula tribe in Mallapadi. Few children from the village have also dropped out of school.

Gundalakuttai has ten row houses with a population of about 30, and is situated at the foothills of a hill. Since there is no government scheme to supply water, the Irulas depend on a stone crusher unit which operates nearby for their needs.

S Kanaga (50), a villager, said, “There is a pipeline at the roadside, which carries drinking water from Hogenakkal and a small tank-like structure. When water passes through it, few litres get stored in it and we use it for drinking and other purposes. Sometimes, we get water from the crusher unit, but it allows us to take each family to fill two pots twice in a week.”

She added, “A small plastic water tank was erected near a Caste Hindu settlement a few months ago, but it is empty now.”Another villager, C Chinnapayan (42) said, “Though we have a house in patta land, we don’t have drinking water facility and road to our habitation. We raised the water issue even in recent grama sabha, but no action has been taken. We take water for bathing and other purposes from a small well near our habitation, which becomes dry within ten days.”

Mallapadi panchayat president G Sarojini said she is aware of the issue and as the habitation was situated at a high elevation, it is difficult to supply water. However, she said she would find some solution for this issue.

School education department officials visited and assured to readmit the students back to school.
Bargur Block Development Officer Subramani said he would inspect the spot on Wednesday and would take steps to provide a water facility.