Federation hold meet on revival of waterbodies.
The Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations’ of Pallavapuram Municipality recently organised a special meeting to discuss the issue of water scarcity affecting localities that come under the jurisdiction of the Municipality — they include Chromepet, Pallavaram, Hasthinapuram and Keezhkattalai.
At present, residents of these localities receive Palar drinking water twice a month.
The residents are forced to depend on can water for cooking and drinking purposes, and for other purposes, they buy water through tankers and store it in sumps.
V. Santhanam, president of the Federation, says, “Steps should be taken to de-silt and deepen Pallavaram Periya Eri, Thiruneernmalai Eri, Keezhkattalai Eri, and Veeraraghavan Eri.
If steps are taken to rejuvenate these waterbodies and promote lake tourism, they will be protected and become valuable reservoirs.
Earlier, they used to purchase water only for drinking and cooking, and were dependent on groundwater for other uses.” “ Encroachments found on all sides of these lakes and water channels have to be removed.
Steps should also be taken to arrest discharge of sewage into the waterbodies through storm water drains, which should carry rainwater to the water-bodies.
The members of the Federation made an appeal to the State government to construct additional recharge wells, check dams at Palar river and waterbodies across the State.
Also, steps must be taken to construct Rain Water Harvesting pits, members say.