Rajavelu was shocked to hear that another 50 feet has to be dug at his residence in Ramapuram, Chennai, to reach the groundwater. Not just for him, it has become an herculean task for most of the residents in Ramapuram and Mugalivakkam areas to reach the groundwater through borewells.
“In the last ten years, the depth of the wells has dipped, and in areas like Ramapuram, the water is available only below 350 feet. A decade ago, it was just 40 feet, but the scenario is totally different now,” says Rajavelu, a resident of Ramapuram.
A social activist from the neighbourhood blames the lethargic attitude of metrowater department for the current situation. He mentions that a huge complex is now being built at Mugalivakkam, and nearly 100 borewells were built at the locality.
“When I contacted the metrowater regarding the issue, I did not receive a proper response.” He further says, “Illegal encroachment is one of the major reasons for this situation here in the locality. There has been an increase in commercial establishments in the locality and borewells are dug by them without permission from authorities. Strong action should be taken against these perpetrators.”
| PRESERVE WATER |
| According to Murugan from Ramapuram, reserving canals and preserving water is the only way to retain the groundwater. He says, “Growth in population is a problem faced by many countries. So, facing the crises efficiently and taking necessary initiative would be the key solution. This year, as we did not receive enough rain, we are already facing water scarcity. The big question now is, How are the locals going to face the summer? The previous two years, we received good spells, but even then, we faced scarcity. So, the problem is the base. There are no proper canals or checkdams, because of which we are unable to store rain water and it gets drained into the sea.”
“The locals are also keeping an eye on the day-to-day progress of Ramapuram lake restoration works. The last two days, the work is going on at a snail’s pace. When asked about this, the higher authorities say that the funds are getting delayed,” laments Murugan. |
| NO PROPER RWH |
| According to the members of Ramapuram Social Welfare Federation, poor establishment of rain water harvesting plan is also a reason for the dip in groundwater. They say that the situation has become serious in the last five years. “The shrinking of Ramapuram lake, from 27 to just 1.5 acre, is the visible reason for the depletion. So, the restoration of this lake is our only hope,” they say. |