Siruvani Dam begun to dip
After nearly four months of continuous overflow, water level in the Siruvani Dam has begun to dip. And, the Coimbatore Corporation is taking note of the four mm a day rate of fall in the level so that it can be well-prepared to handle the demand for drinking water during summer.The level on Friday was 65 ft as against the full reservoir level of 67.44 ft. The position is far better compared to the level during the corresponding period in 2002 (44 ft) and 2003 (32 ft), the Corporation points out.“Water level is going down by the day, but we foresee no scarcity during summer,” says Mayor R. Venkatachalam. The Mayor’s confidence is based on the smooth sail since the summer of 2004. The overflow of surplus water for four months this year is unprecedented, according to the civic body. The Mayor points out that when scarcity had been avoided during the last three summers with the help overflow for just one or two months, the one ahead will also be trouble-free.The Corporation is, however, wary of the pressure on the Siruvani scheme from not only one half of its territory but also from three municipalities and a number of town panchayats and village panchayats.In spite of the optimism of a smooth summer, the note of caution is discernible in the Mayor’s observation on the current situation. And, this caution stems from the faster rate at which the level is coming down at the dam.“Earlier, it used to come down by one or one-and-a-half mm during this time of the year,” he says. The reduction by four mm a day now points to the rising demand for drinking water in the city and the suburbs, he says.
As if to substantiate this point, the level on Friday is two ft lower than the one on the same day last year (see infobox).There is still some inflow from the water falls. But, there is no rain at the dam. Mr. Venkatachalam quotes reports from the dam early on Friday as saying that there had been only a drizzle. “But, some amount of water (from the upper reaches of the Siruvani hills) keeps flowing in,” he says.Normally, a long break in the North-East Monsoon makes the local bodies here take stock of the water position with regard to the Siruvani scheme. The Pilloor scheme that serves another half of the city, 23 town panchayats and over 500 habitations has a perennial water source. This helps avoid scarcity under this scheme.Though he describes the Siruvani situation as being comfortable, the Mayor advocates judicious use of water so that reckless use does not push the city into scarcity. He admits that the regularisation of layouts (unapproved for long) will bring pressure on the water front.
In the absence of house connections, these layouts had been provided drinking water in lorries once in five days. Now, these areas will benefit from alternate day supply. The Mayor says Siruvani-served areas such as Telungupalayam, Selvapuram, some parts of Ramanathapuram, Karunanidhi Nagar, Ganapathy, Maniyakarampalayam and Sanganur have such layouts where drinking water lines are being provided.“We will check the condition of the bore wells across the city as part of measures to prepare for the summer. We need to have these in good condition by then and provide more bore wells wherever necessary. People should use this water, and not Siruvani water, for their gardens and to wash vehicles,” the Mayor says to stress austerity measures.
