OMJASVIN M D By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: As Metro Water supply continues to be erratic in many parts of the city, desperation for a consistent source of water has pushed residents out of their houses to erect borewells on roads. At Old Washermenpet residents have set up borewells on roads encroaching public space while the local police have turned a blind eye to this. In Ramanuja Koodam Street, Basuvayan Street and Shanmugaroyan street many borewells can be seen on the road and some residents have installed motors connecting borewells on the house walls too.

‘’There is a desperate need for water and since most houses in the locality are very small, it is impossible to set up borewells in houses,’’ said Veera, a borewell contractor.Since borewells are in high demand due to the water crisis, one project will fetch the contractors at least Rs 50,000. This has made contractors just go about doing what they are asked for.

A few days ago, when a borewell was dug on the road in Basuvayan Street, underground electrical cables were disturbed, admitted plumbers. ‘’It was a 150-feet borewell and the machine hit an electric line and there were sparks. However, not much damage was done and we started digging into a nearby space closing the previous one with sand,’’ said Selvaraj, a plumber.

The story was the same in areas like Korukkupet, R K Nagar and Tondiarpet when Express visited. Borewells seemed to be outside the white mark on streets. A resident of Washermenpet’s Shanmugaroyan Street who was setting up a borewell on the road said he would level the surface after completion of work using concrete cement.

‘’Metro Water comes once in two days and the water is not sufficient. When we laid the pipe, we ensured that there was no sewage line or electric line running beneath,’’ said the resident, on condition of anonymity. When Express contacted local police officials, they said they were not aware of people setting up borewells on roads. ‘’We will send a patrol team to the streets and take action against residents who have set up borewells on roads,’’ a police official said.

Electrical cables disturbed while digging

A few days ago, when a borewell was dug on the road in Basuvayan Street, underground electrical cables were disturbed, admitted plumbers. ‘’It was a 150-feet borewell and the machine hit an electric line and there were sparks. However, not much damage was done and we started digging into a nearby space closing the previous one with sand,’’ said Selvaraj, a plumber. ‘’Metro Water comes once in two days and the water is not sufficient,’’ said the resident, on condition of anonymity