The water woes of Chennai residents continue as complaints against the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) pile up from different areas. While residents of the Madhavaram zone suffer from a lack of water allegedly due to leaking metro water pipes, residents of Sholinganallur complain of irregular water supply in their homes.
At the last Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) council meeting, which was held on July 28, E Elumalai, the councillor of Ward 32 located in Madhavaram, said that despite the high water levels in the Puzhal Lake, residents of his ward have been suffering without water for the last seven months. He told TNM, “The pipes were laid in 2016 and they have developed problems because of which they are leaking. Repair work has started, but the pace is very slow. The residents of almost 600 plus streets are depending on a tank.” Several residents who require additional water have resorted to paying for both metro water connection and panchayat water connection, he added.
Meanwhile, in the next ward, residents do not have a tank to rely on. A resident said, “We don’t get water every day despite paying water tax. At present, we are getting water twice a week only. We can’t afford to buy extra water so we fill up our buckets and pots whenever water comes and use it sparingly.” The councillor of the ward, Gunasundari added that the tank is currently under construction and that the shortage continues due to the lack of pipe-based connection from the Puzhal Lake.
Meanwhile, the residents of Sholinganallur face irregular water supply. Sumathi, a resident of Vettuvankeni, told TNM that the common metro water tap only brings water once in five days. “It is better now. Some time ago, water would only be supplied once in 15 days in the common tap,” she added. Dhanam, another resident of the locality raised similar complaints. When asked why they had to rely on the common water taps, Dhanam said, “I even submitted a letter asking for a connection at home after I moved here in 2020. But for three years, no one has replied to my letter.”
Elumalai added, “Since there is only one Assistant Engineer (AE) from CMWSSB for four wards in Madhavaram, it is becoming difficult for the AEs to attend to all the problems promptly.” This issue of the CMWSSB not having enough AEs to attend to 200 wards in Chennai was also raised by Raja Anbazhagan, a councillor from Kodambakkam, before Mayor R Priya and GCC Commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan. The Commissioner, in response, asked the CMWSSB to hold daily meetings at ward levels and resolve the issue. “However, there is a glaring lack of coordination between metro water officials and our wards,” Elumai said.