Sharp decline in groundwater table raises concern
At a time when Tiruchi Corporation has resorted to alternate day supply of drinking water to residents in some parts of the city due to dip in yield at its water sources, the sharp decline in ground water table has raised concern among the water managers.
Since the onset of summer, the Corporation is facing short supply of drinking water to the residents mainly due to depleting ground water table.
The places where the collector wells are located on the riverbed of the Cauvery and the Kollidam rivers have gone dry in the wake of prevailing drought conditions and poor ¦ow of water.
Similarly, a collector well at Kambarasampettai developed issues with the failure of a radial arm, erected about 25 years ago. Following this, the Corporation introduced austerity measures in water supply and introduced alternate day supply of drinking water in at least 67 locations, mostly in K.K. Nagar, J.K. Nagar, Ariyamangalam, Kattur, Thiruverumbur, Crawford, Edamalaipattipudur and Panjapur since the third week of March.
According to sources, the Corporation has an installed capacity of 156 MLD (million litres per day) at various sources in the riverbeds of the Cauvery and the Kollidam. Until recently, the civic body was drawing yield almost close its capacity. However, it is said that it is struggling to maintain yield. for the last two months. The yield is hovering between 130 MLD and 140 MLD, thereby causing short supply of water. Though there are no major complaints over water supply in the areas covered by the sources from the Cauvery, there are complaints from the areas covered by the sources from the Kollidam.
“Though the Corporation claims that it maintains alternate day supply of drinking water, we get water once in two days. We have no other option but to bank on bore water,” says a resident of Rail Nagar.
Enquires revealed that sources in the Cauvery river have been relatively better in yield of water. But the yield continued to go down daily from the sources in the Kollidam river. The ground water table had gone down by about 20 feet since March. The pace of depletion of ground water table was fast in April when compared to March.
“We are badly in need of opening the Mettur dam for drinking water purposes. The situation can improve if we get a ¦ow in the
Cauvery river for four or ve day,” says an ocial.
The alternate supply of water was working well to tide over the crisis. Water was supplied as per the schedule. The work on erecting a new radial arm at the Collector well at Kambarasampettai was going on. It was expected that it would be over within three weeks. Once it was completed, about 30 MLD could be pumped out from the source. It would come in handy to tide over the short supply of drinking water, he adds.