The Coimbatore Corporation that has thus far focussed on improving drinking water supply and attending to residents’ grievances on the issue is also looking at problems in ground water supply.
Sources in the civic administration said that a few areas that were close to hills or had rocky subsurface faced the problem of poor yield from bore wells. Residents added that in a few other areas the problem was also man-made because of poor distribution.
The sources said the problem of poor yield from bore wells was pronounced in Vadavalli, Veerakeralam and areas west thereto in the West Zone, in Kovaipudur, Sugunapuram and areas in their vicinity in South Zone, and Thudiyalur and Saravanampatti in North Zone.
In those areas, the Corporation was forced to run motors attached to bore wells for longer hours than required as the water table had gone down. Even if the Corporation were to double the motor running time, it found difficulty in supplying the required quantity of water.
To overcome the problem, engineers in-charge of ground water supply in those areas had diverted to a sump the water drawn from three or four bore wells and then pumped water from the sump to residents to maintain adequate pressure, the sources said.
Alternatively, the engineers also sunk more pipelines to access the water or flushed clean the bore wells to remove blocks.
The other issue was operating motors and supplying water, the residents said. K.K. Pudur resident and a former Councillor M. Ravindiraraj alleged that the mismanagement in ground water supply was because of the contractors the Corporation had engaged to run the motors, distribute water by operating valves and attend to leaks, if any.
Most of the contractors engaged were affiliated to the ruling party or were friends and relatives of ruling party men and hardly paid heed to residents’ grievances. There were also instances of the contractors claiming payment for motors that were dysfunctional, he also said and pointed out to bore wells on Maniam Velappar Street, Palani Gounder Street and in Kaveri Nagar to back his claim.
In Ward 99, the problem in ground water supply was that the contractor concerned did not plug leaks despite repeated reminders, resident P. Muralidharan complained.
The Corporation sources refuted the claims that contractors submitted fake claims for dysfunctional motors. They said the contractors were mandated to attach power consumption bills with their claims.
Mr. Ravindiraraj said that in instances where a connection powered a motor and a noon meal centre or another Corporation facility, the contractors could easily get away by submitting such claims.
