After darkness, city is now dry

Residents in the city were the worst hit by the water crisis as they had to depend on private players, who sold water for exorbitant rates. Some residents lamented that they had been using water sold in cans for all purposes for the last three days.

A Rajendran, a resident of Thondaiyarpet, said that his family waited for more than a day to get water. “After Vardah made landfall in the city, water tankers stopped coming to our place. We were forced to buy water from private water tankers, who sold it at Rs 20/liter. There was no power supply, which added insult to injury,” he said and added that this was a clear indication that the officials did not take up repairing works on war-footing and there were no precautionary measures. The situation was no different in areas like Chintadripet, Choolai and several suburbs in the south. 

“The officials concerned should ensure proper water supply and power distribution during emergencies like this,” said T Manickam, a resident of Choolai adding that “The officials have not learned any lessons from last year’s floods. Meanwhile, officials from Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) maintained that they were supplying water without interruption. “The problem lies with the power supply. Lack of power supply might have led to water shortage in many areas. However, we are continuously supplying water,” said an official. 

When asked about water supply to residents who do not have metro water connections, the official said, “around 500 metro water tankers have been pressed into service and large tanks in open places are being filled up with water. However, there might be interruption in supply as workers carry out maintenance works.”