Despite multi-crore schemes, Tirupattur residents struggle for drinking water

The two water purification plants established by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology in 2012 to address the water crisis in Tirupattur region of Sivaganga district is yet to become functional.

For years, residents of Tirupattur have watched successive government schemes come and go, yet their taps remain largely dry.

Despite investments amounting to tens of crores of rupees over the past decade, a severe drinking water shortage continues to plague the town, leaving citizens dependent on costly private water vendors.

The water purification plants established at a cost of ₹12 crore, designed to extract 1.2 lakh liters of water daily through two open wells and three borewells, the facility supplied drinking water at an affordable rate of ₹5 per pot.

Under the original project framework, the contracting firm was mandated to manage operations for the first two years before handing over the reins to the town panchayat administration.

However, the handover hit a roadblock when the panchayat administration refused to take charge, citing a lack of operational funds.

The contracting firm continued operations for an additional three years before walking away entirely. The project has remained completely stalled since 2017.

Efforts to revive the facility five years ago by then-District Collector Jayakanthan ultimately stalled due to a lack of cooperation from the local panchayat administration.

Although Tirupattur town panchayat was subsequently integrated into the Cauvery Drinking Water Scheme, poor pipeline maintenance meant that regular supply could not be sustained even once a week.

Seeking a solution, the Union government’s AMRUT 2.0 scheme was rolled out in the town at a cost of ₹21.67 crore. The project involved laying new pipelines, constructing three overhead tanks and two ground-level reservoirs, and digging 10 new borewells across the town.

When the scheme went into effect in the beginning of the year, authorities promised piped water to 6,500 connections, ensuring a supply of 135 litres per person per day.

Yet, on the ground, neighbourhoods including Pudupattai, Chinnathoppu Street, Nondi Kaatuvava Street, Puthu Street, Kallakuzhi Street, Ganesh Nagar, Thambipatti, Themmapattu, and Kaliyamman Koil Street continued to face acute shortages.

With municipal taps remaining dry for days, many families are forced to spend between ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 every month just to purchase drinking water from private suppliers.

As residents grapple with escalating household expenses to secure basic drinking water, locals have urged the district authorities to audit existing infrastructure and restore the long-abandoned purification plants before another summer deepens the crisis.

Town panchayat officials speaking on the matter said: “The water obtained from the deep borewells established under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme has high mineral content. Because of this, they cannot be used. However, Cauvery drinking water is being received fully. Water is coming at a rate of 1,300 litres per second. Nevertheless, since there is a problem with distribution in some places, work is under way to rectify it. There are insufficient funds to repair the machinery in the purification plants and bring them back into use.”