For the residents of Muthupatti, what was once a sprawling waterbody that helped to irrigate their fields and meet water needs, is now a piece of dry land overgrown with ‘seemai karuvelam’ trees and encroached upon by concrete structures.
The Veeramudaiyan tank, commonly known as Muthupatti tank, located in ward 93 of the Madurai Corporation, is what the residents hope will solve their water problems.
For residents of ward 93, which includes areas such as TVS Nagar, Muthupatti, Alagappan Nagar, Alagusundaram Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Kennett Nagar and YMCA Nagar, water supply has been scarce and borewells have gone dry.
“The last time we remember the tank brimming with water was in 2009. The boundaries of the tank have been encroached in the last few years and have become a dumping ground for garbage,” said K. Rani, a resident of Muthupatti.
M. Murugiah, a resident of Alagappan Nagar, said that a few years back the tank was one of the waterbodies identified by the corporation for renovation under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and funds were allocated for the work.
"No work has, however, taken place. If the tank is deepened and converted into an effective summer storage point, it will be a boon for people of the ward which is a preferred residential area,” he said.
Ward Councillor Raja Sreenivasan said that work had been recently initiated to clear the ‘seemai karuvelam’ trees from the tank bed. When asked about the water problem faced by residents, he attributed it to different reasons.
“During the tenure of the previous corporation, stormwater channels were hurriedly laid in many areas in this ward and other wards, damaging drinking water pipeline in many places. The myopic planning rendered many of the drinking water pipes useless,” he explained.
At present, the residents have to manage with corporation water which is supplied through tankers once in three days. “Many independent houses here are now lying vacant after the owners relocated to areas with water. At the other end of the spectrum, however, apartment complexes are under construction in the quiet, residential streets, unmindful of the hassles the residents could face later due to water shortage," said a resident of Alagappan Nagar.
Among the infrastructural works carried out on the request of the residents is a paver block road on Krishna Road around the park at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh.
P.S. Subramanian, a resident, said that they were not able to use the paver block road since buses from private schools were parked for most part of the day.
The bridge connecting TVS Nagar with Madakulam, which is under construction for over four years, is another inconvenience for many residents. “Due to the construction of the bridge, one of the main water pipes that brought water to our area is damaged and we are now supplied water through a sub-line,” Mr. Subramanian said.
The residents are also questioning the purpose of the bridge and opined that a bridge from TVS Nagar to Tirupparankundram would be of better use.
“The TVS Nagar railway gate has been blocked for years due to the construction and many school and college buses as well as residents are forced to wait at the Alagappan Nagar railway gate, leading to traffic snarls,” said K. Chellama, a resident.
Many areas in the ward, such as Nehru Nagar, Pandian Nagar and Duraisamy Nagar are in dire need of new roads. Mr. Raja Sreenivasan said that a proposal had been submitted to the corporation to lay tar roads in five streets in the ward and work would commence soon.
