Villagers demand operation of overhead tank for regular water supply in Tiruvannamalai

Villagers in Palanandal, a village near Tiruvannamalai town, have demanded the operation of an overhead tank to ensure regular water supply, particularly for the tail-end areas of their community. The tank, with a storage capacity of 10,000 litres, was constructed over five years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its completion, it has remained largely non-functional due to technical issues, leaving residents reliant on distant water sources and private tanker deliveries. Palanandal village consists of nine wards administered by the Thurinjapuram Panchayat Union within the Tiruvannamalai district. Seven remote hamlets, Veluganandal, Mangalam, Pudur, and Nookkambadi, are part of this village, housing approximately 2,300 families. Recent weeks have brought rising temperatures and dwindling water resources, exacerbating the challenges faced by the villagers. In particular, the tail-end areas of these hamlets have suffered from irregular water supply, forcing some residents to travel up to 10 kilometres to fetch water from nearby towns such as Kilpennathur and Tiruvannamalai. R. Ganesh, a local resident, described the situation as dire. He noted that while groundwater in the region has become increasingly saline, the panchayat provides the only reliable water supply. However, he pointed out that the local panchayat has yet to connect water pipelines to the newly built overhead tank. “We rely on the panchayat’s water, but the tank remains unused because the power generators are insufficient,” he explained. The overhead tank was intended to serve as a critical infrastructure project to improve access to clean water in the tail-end areas. Its design aimed to ensure consistent distribution by maintaining adequate pressure to reach even the farthest parts of the village. Yet, according to residents, the tank has not functioned properly since its construction. They attributed this failure to faulty power generators, which fail to deliver sufficient water volume into the tank. Consequently, the water stored in the tank lacks the necessary pressure to distribute effectively throughout the village. Panchayat officials acknowledged the need for daily water supply, estimating that 3.5 lakh litres are required for household consumption alone. This water is primarily sourced from five borewells in the village, which are then pumped into four overhead tanks. These tanks facilitate water distribution via pipelines and public taps. On average, water is supplied for two hours each day. Officials stated that initial inspections revealed that the motor pump sets responsible for transferring water to the new overhead tank were not functioning. Additionally, the existing water pipeline system had not been connected to the new tank, which replaced an older structure that had collapsed several years ago. To mitigate the immediate crisis, panchayat authorities have arranged for private tanker lorries to deliver water to households until the overhead tank can be put back into service. Efforts are underway to repair the malfunctioning equipment and establish the necessary connections to restore the tank's functionality. Until then, the community continues to face significant hardship, relying on sporadic water supplies and long journeys to meet basic needs.