The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Water woes aplenty at Kottakulam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 24, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Water woes aplenty at Kottakulam

Staff Reporter

Owing to exploitation of groundwater

Most of the residents are farm workers
Panchayat lacks sufficient funds

CHENGAM: Kottakulam, with a population of over 5,000 people in the Chengam block, suffers without adequate drinking water supply.

Several villages in the block face water problem owing to over exploitation of groundwater. According to sources, for a while people even migrated to other States due to the crisis.

Panchayat chief Chinnakannu Dorairaj said that he was able to solve the problem “to a certain extent” with the support of Pudupalayam panchayat union chairman C. Sundarapandian.

According to Mr. Dorairaj, there was only one overhead tank (one lakh litres) to meet the requirement of the entire village.

“It is real agony as people are not able to buy drinking water. Most of them are agriculture workers and live on daily wages,” he said.

The District Water Board sanctioned another overhead tank (60,000 litre) for Kottakulam which was to be constructed with NABARAD aid. But it is yet to take off, Mr. Dorairaj said.

The panchayat lacked sufficient funds to settle basic issues, he added.

The funds which came once in six months was only sufficient to meet administrative expenses, including payment of salary to the panchayat workers and electricity bill owing to streetlights.

Though the panchayat has raised enough funds to construct two tanks of 10,000 litre capacity each to supplement the supply, a real solution would come through only with the construction of the 60,000-litre tank, he added.

With the village being included under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam in 2009-2010, the panchayat can expect to see some development.

According to sources, the shortage of funds has also affected road works.

The approach route to the village is in a dilapidated state and bus service has been suspended. More than 150 students studying at schools in neighbouring villages and Chengam taluk and Tiruvannamalai have been hit.

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