Plug leaks in taps,a civil engineer initiates steps to repair taps, teams up with Siruthuli
TOWARDS A CAUSE: The Siruthuli, a public initiative, in association with a pipe-merchant on Thursday launched a drive in the city to plug the leaks in the taps to prevent precious water from going waste. - Photo: M. Periasamy
COIMBATORE: Who says there is no sensitivity among the public over wastage of water?
A 55-year-old hardware shop owner has teamed up with Siruthuli, a public initiative to conserve water resources, to plug leaks in taps in houses across the city.
The objective? Preventing precious water from going down the drain.
Wastage
M.J.A. Rajkumar of M.S. Manikam and Company on Mill Road says: "For 10 years, I saw water being wasted through leaks in the roadside taps. It used to pain me and I used to wonder how we can stop such wastage."
Mr. Rajkumar says he discussed this with Siruthuli's Managing Trustee Vanita Mohan and expressed his desire to team up with that organisation for yet another movement to conserve water.
Thus was born the Drinking Water Leakage Prevention Camp.
It will be held from February 1 to 28.
Send post-cards
The store had asked the public to send postcards with full address if the taps in their houses had sprung a leak.
A plumber from the store will go to the houses and fix the leak.
The store insists on post cards and does not entertain the idea of taking complaints through phones.
The cards will serve as a proof the assistance sought by the residents. Besides, the residents too will be convinced that the plumber is indeed from the camp organiser.
Responsibility
Ms. Mohan says the drive will bring about a sense of responsibility among the people to save water.
It will create the awareness that every single drop of water is precious. "We had been told that many people called up (the camp organiser) and complained of leaks in taps along roads."
Mr. Rajkumar promises that the camp will not be converted into a strategy to sell taps from his store.
No hidden motive
"We will ask the residents to change the taps if that is necessary. But, they can buy these from wherever they want."
The drive is being carried out after a broad survey. It says there are 1.7 lakh houses that, on an average, have three taps each.
"At least 25 per cent of the more than five lakh taps have problems and this causes substantial wastage," says Mr. Rajkumar.
This is what the camp aims to prevent. The hope is that a month-long camp will turn into a public movement to save water at the level of every house.
