Officials anxious over delay in onset of monsoon, poor water storage in dams

Officials anxious over delay in onset of monsoon, poor water storage in dams

With the flow of water in the Tamirabharani becoming thin every day following delay in onset of southwest monsoon in the catchment areas of major dams and poor storage in the reservoirs, drinking water crisis looms large in the southern districts.

The 122-km-long Tamirabharani river meets the drining water needs of lakhs of people in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts through the 236 infiltration wells sunk through the watercourse between Papanasam and Punnaikayal. With the flow dwindled, the river looks more like a rivulet.

Water supply has become erratic and the quantum has come down drastically in the recent weeks. Residents of Thoothukudi, who were getting water thrice a week, now get it once a week, that too for a short duration.

When peripheral areas of Tirunelveli witnessed water shortage, Corporation Commissioner V. Sivakrishnamurthy took measures, especially during second half of May, to ensure water stagnation around infiltration wells supplying drinking water to the 15 headworks.  “We managed to ensure decent distribution. Moreover, all borewells fitted with handpumps in the residential areas to meet the demand are functional. All these are temporary measures. We pin out hopes on a good monsoon in July and August,” Mr. Sivakrishnamurthy said.

In Thoothukudi district, Collector K. Senthil Raj and Srivakundam MLA Oorvasi S. Amirtharaj inspected infiltration wells sunk in the Tamirabharani at Ponnankurichi for supplying water to Sattankulam, Udangudi and Tiruchendur areas on last Sunday. Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi also subsequently visited some of the headworks.

They found water flowing along a small portion of the river and no water was stagnating around infiltration wells. So, earthmovers were hired to dig channels on the dry riverbed to bring water from the stream to the infiltration wells to improve water supply to headworks.

 “We’ll ensure increased release of water from dams so that the flow of water in the river and supply to the headworks from the infiltration wells improves,” Ms. Kanimozhi had said.