For about a year, Coimbatore Corporation officials in Central Zone have been readying paperwork to procure a motor worth around ₹ 1 lakh as a replacement for another motor that went faulty in Maheswari Nagar, Rathinapuri, in Ward 49.
The Corporation had fixed the motor to a borewell to supply ground water to the 200-odd residents of the area. After the motor developed problems and the Corporation removed it, the residents had represented to the Corporation officials at various levels.
Former Councillor of the area, Meena Loganathan, said that the representation started at the level of assistant engineer for the ward, then reached assistant executive engineer's table, later the executive engineer and now they had taken it to the notice of the city engineer as well.
In return for the representations, the residents were given assurances and nothing more.
Even as they were getting assurances they were running after water, the residents said. “If we went to neighbouring areas for water, the maximum that we get is a pot or two and that too only after the areas there have taken their share. With a pot or two of water it is difficult to run the day,” rued resident S. Nagamani.
The women residents were affected more compared to the menfolk, said resident G. Sivakami. “It is we the women who forego work to stay back to fetch water from the neighbourhood. By the time we get water it is usually noon. And, with the two pots of water we will have to manage kitchen, bathroom and toilet needs.”
Another resident added: “There have been occasions when we have left dishes unwashed for two or three days because of water shortage.”
After much complaining, the Corporation had sometime ago diverted water from the nearby Subbathal Layout to a tank in the area. But residents said the water was inadequate.
Asked about the delay in fixing a new motor to the borewell, a Corporation engineer said the civic body was in the process of completing the paper work. Thereafter it would float tender, accept the quotation of the lowest bidder and then fix the motor to resume water supply from the Maheswari Nagar borewell to the residents.
He expected the process to be completed in the next few weeks, he added.
Senior officials were unavailable for comment.