Work on to desilt and deepen wells in Ooty
The cottages and resorts, which received water on alternative days, are now getting water once every three days.
COIMBATORE: To overcome the drinking water shortage this summer, work has been taken up to desilt and deepen 27 wells in the town area.
“Of them, work has been finished in 20 wells, while works are underway in the remaining seven wells. Efforts have been taken to supply 0.18 MLD of water through five water tankers hired on rent in elevated regions. With the current storage position in Parsons Valley reservoir, an uninterrupted water supply could be made for over 80 days. Water could also be extracted for two more months from the dead storage level of five feet and water surrounding the infiltration well,” said P Egaraj, Commissioner of Udhagamandalam Municipality.
The municipality authorities however hope that the situation may improve if rains arrive.
“The cottages and resorts, which received water on alternative days, are now getting water once every three days.
Currently, it’s manageable but may get worse if there are no rains. If required, then cottage owners purchase water from tankers. Almost ten per cent of cottages are dependent on tankers, who charge Rs 1,200 for one load of 7,000 litres,” said AS Sadiq Ali, president of Ooty Cottage Owners Association.