Siruvani Dam remains cut off from city
More than a month since landslips damaged it, the road in the Siruvani Hills that leads to the dam is yet to be restored, says the Coimbatore Corporation.Mayor R. Venkatachalam said on Thursday that councillors were upset at not being able to go to the dam for the annual exercise of seeing water overflow from it.The Mayor blamed the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board for the delay in restoring the road link. Mr. Venkatachalam said he had also made a representation to the Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply.Officials in the water board reacted saying that the Corporation need not make an issue of this as the roadwork would be completed in a couple of days.Trees uprooted during heavy rain and by gusty winds had been removed. Only the re-laying of the road was to be done.On its part, the Corporation was upset that an annual visit soon after the first overflow could not be done by its officials and elected members to assess the water situation.A large team comprising the Ministers from the district (especially those representing constituencies in and around the city), the Mayor, District Collector, Corporation Commissioner, Councillors and also officials of the civic body and the water board visits the dam a day or two after the overflow begins.
The Mayor pointed out that this was not just a pleasure trip. It was also to assess the water position and personally, everyone in the Corporation wanted to see the overflow to get a feeling of wellbeing in terms of drinking water supply.“Water has been overflowing from the dam for a month. The road was damaged even before that. We could not go to the dam last month because the access was cut off at two places,” he said.“Our officials had to take a circuitous route through Kerala to reach the dam after the first overflow was reported,” he said.Despite the water board knowing of the problem, and the Corporation also raising this with it often, nothing had been done yet on the ground to carry out repairs to the damaged portions.“The road to the dam and the water supply system are under the control of the water board. So, it is their responsibility to restore the road,” the Mayor contended.
“Whenever our officials contacted those of the water board, the latter had replied that tenders had been invited,” the Mayor said.The message given through this was that the process would take time.“We are also given to understand that the some officials in the water board are citing funds shortage for the work not being carried out.The hint being provided to us is that we owe the board arrears in water and maintenance charges,” the Mayor said.“I think we are being very indirectly told to pay up if the roadwork has to begin soon,” the Mayor complained.“We want to take over the entire Siruvani scheme so that we need not pay any money to the water board. As it is, water comes only through gravity. So, why should we pay?”The water board officials responded by saying that the road and the system at the dam were being maintained by them.So, they were faced with the need to go to the dam more than the Corporation.
