Minister denies water woes even as IT cos cut down ops

After hotels and restaurants, the scarcity of water in many parts of Chennai has now even forced workspace administrators to sit up and take note of the problem. From full-fledged conservation measures adopted by HR departments regarding judicious use of office resources like restrooms and cafeterias, to bringing one’s own water canister to work, Chennai Inc is going the extra mile to stay hydrated in this scorching summer.

When contacted, a spokesperson from Cognizant said, “In view of the challenging water situation in Chennai, we have taken a number of measures across our facilities in the city to conserve water while continuing to serve the interests of our business as well as employees. We have installed special nozzles into washbasin taps that help us make the best use of available water. These nozzles reduce the water flow to a mist by atomising the water into fine droplets, bringing down water consumption by 80% and preventing wastage.”

He added, “We have also switched to biodegradable plates in all our cafeterias, temporarily closed shower facilities in our gyms, and minimised the washing of utensils in our campuses by our cafeteria vendors. We have also been able to add thousands of litres to the water we saveeveryday via our water management programme.”

A few small companies, that lack a robust infrastructure, were unable to secure tankers for adequate water supply. The director of an IT-SME company, on condition of anonymity told DTNext that an option of work from home had been offered to employees.

Most big-ticket companies are in a relatively safe zone as far as water shortage is concerned, thanks to the existing infrastructure. According to Sathish Mohanakrishnan, a representative of the Forum for IT employees, “Most top tier companies have a water recycling plant within their campus, which takes care of 60 per cent of their secondary water requirements. A few Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies that operate out of smaller, low-rent spaces find it harder to function in the absence of basic utilities such as restrooms.”

However, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani on Monday refuted reports of IT companies having asked employees to work from home owing to water shortage. He said the Metro water Corporation is prepared to meet the city’s water requirement till November this year.

Sanjay Tyagi, director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), said, “We have learnt of some companies using the WFH option. But, the water issue has not yet come up in Tidel Park. The matter has also been escalated to the Chief Minister and his team.” 

Commuters of the Metro complained that toilet facilities were not available at St Thomas Mount and Ashok Nagar stations on Monday due to water shortage. “To provide water supply to the toilets is a basic need, why can’t the Metro officials ensure even that? When they charge so much for the ticket price, they should make available all the basic infrastructure for the commuters,” complained S Sarangan, a commuter. Chennai Metro officials, however, stated that adequate measures havebeen taken for the benefit of the Metro passengers.