MADURAI: With summer set to peak soon, people in several rural habitations are anxious over the delay in the completion of Andipatti-Sedapatti Combined Water Scheme.
Initiated on April 8, 2023, the Rs 200.57-crore project envisaged to pump water from Vaigai river to 236 villages in T Kallupatti and Sedappati unions. Though Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) officials said 90% of the work, including laying main and distribution pipelines, is done in the major sectors of the zone, the residents of several settlements urged the project be expedited to tackle water shortage during the summer.
Former president of Sengulam panchayat K Alagarswamy said, “Water scarcity has forced the over 1,500 families in our village from T Kallupatti union to collect water from borewells in another village.”
Citing that the scheme announcement had brought some hope, he said, “TWAD staff inspected the locations near our village. Pipelines were later installed in many villages till M Subbulapuram, which is four kilometres away,” adding that the villagers would be glad if the laying of the main pipeline completed soon.
Though the main pipelines were installed in many villages, the water supply has not commenced yet.
One such village, Anthangaraipatti panchayat in Sedapatti Union, also has a 30,000-litre water tank -- constructed two months ago -- that remains dry. Anthagaraipatti panchayat former president M Murugan said, “There are around 600 households in our village, and we are completely dependent on borewells for the last several years.”
He added that water supplied through the project would be the sole permanent solution to their summer woes.
An official from TWAD (Madurai) told TNIE, “Internal fixation and monitoring activities are being carried out at critical links at a cost Rs 64.35 crore. This is taking time at some locations, and we will complete it by a month or two. Once the trial is over, water will be released.”