At S Pudukkottai village in Sirugamani town panchayat, the 2,000-odd residents are plagued not by water scarcity, but by an out-of-use overhead water tank eating up public space. Built ten years ago to provide a potable water supply to residents, the water tank has remained unused since its construction.
The 30,000-litre capacity tank eats up a significant portion of the Mariamman Temple ground, forcing locals to seek official intervention to either bring it back to use or demolish it. According to the residents, it stands as a relic that is out of use, of benefit to none, and plays spoilsport during special occasions or gatherings.
A villager, requesting anonymity, told TNIE, “Ten years ago, we had raised objections against the water tank since a spot on the Mariamman Temple ground was earmarked for its construction. The temple ground is where we used to gather around and hold discussions. Now, we have lost a significant slice of it to the huge water tank, which, now, is of no use to anyone.” Activist MRSRS Rajalingam said, “We had submitted petitions with the district collector.
The water tank should be demolished. How could they (town panchayat) construct something using public funds and leave it unused for almost a decade?” When contacted, Sivagami Sundari R, president of Sirugamani Town Panchayat, told TNIE, “We are aware of the issue. I cannot recall the exact amount spent for its (water tank) construction. But it has not been in operation ever since it was built. We will seek the opinion of the town panchayat engineer; if the water tank is found to be unstable, it’ll be demolished as per the people’s wish.”