Northern suburbs are waiting for water and sewer network
The Hindu
Madhavaram residents await piped water supply amidst rapid urbanization and declining groundwater levels, emphasizing the need for infrastructure development.
The mention of Madhavaram often brings up images of a serene locality that is home to mango groves, a milk dairy, and green cover. With rapid urbanisation changing the landscape of Chennai’s northern suburbs, residents are looking forward to piped water supply to meet their daily needs.
Madhavaram is one of the areas now merged into Zone 3 of the Greater Chennai Corporation. Long-time residents of the burgeoning locality recall that Madhavaram had abundant groundwater reserves about three decades ago and was a much-preferred locality for those who looked for a pollution-free environment. However, the surge in residential and commercial property development underscores the need for faster implementation of infrastructure projects to match the growing demands of the urban population.
Residents say some areas in Madhavaram were served by an old pipeline network created by the erstwhile municipality. However, it was damaged during the storm water drain construction. Though work on new lines started a few years ago, it has run into problems.
J. Ravi, a resident of Kilburn Nagar, says a comprehensive drinking water and sewer network is the long-pending demand in the locality and connections are yet to be given in some parts. “Many of the mango groves have been replaced with high-rise buildings. We had a rich groundwater table till the late 1990s. The groundwater was available at a depth of just 20 feet. Now, people sink bore-wells to a minimum depth of 100 feet,” he says.
While the groundwater level has rapidly declined in areas like Madhavaram Milk Colony, some areas like Kilburn Nagar and Seethapathy Street still have water at a few feet below the ground. But the groundwater has turned saline, residents say.
Many households are meeting their drinking water needs with packaged water and water purifiers. Residents want the drinking water network to be executed soon. S. Jayachandran, a resident of Thapalpetti, says quicker implementation of the scheme will help residents dependent on private suppliers. “We have the groundwater available at a depth of 20 feet in open wells. But the water is not potable. Piped supply will help prevent health risks due to high salinity in the groundwater,” he said.
Metrowater has completed laying the water network at some places in Zone 3. Work is in progress for a trial run. Water supply is set to be provided in 10 days from some of the overhead tanks at Kilburn Nagar and Pukhraj Nagar.