Water shortage at Children's Park

By P. Oppili

CHENNAI, JUNE 28. With the sudden stoppage of water supply by Metrowater to the Children's Park, Guindy, the wildlife officials have planned to close the park temporarily to visitors.

Metrowater was supplying two loads of water daily to the park till recently. Suddenly, from June 21, the supply was stopped. Repeated requests to the officials had not yielded results and hence the decision to close was considered.

But, the proposal was given up after the park authorities received two loads of water from Wednesday. The Metrowater officials assured that the supply would be continued regularly.

Everyday the park requires about 20,000 litres of water, which is being utilised for the animals, the free ranging deer species and other life forms besides visitors and residential quarters of the department officials. The Vedanthangal birds aviary, otter house, crocodile house are the major water consumers inside the park.

There are five open wells and 15 borewells inside the GNP area, but all of them have gone dry. Desilting and deepening of three ponds - Appalangulam, Kathankollai and Duck Pond in Polo Ground area need to be taken up immediately. Such an effort will help in improving the water position in the park, feel the officials. But when is the moot question.

While the department is spending huge sums under the Tamil Nadu Afforestation Programme to protect forest cover, a sizable amount can be allocated under the programme for taking up deepening and desilting work of these tanks, they feel.

Though the authorities are taking efforts to provide water to the visitors, they are misusing the same. Most of them buy water sachets or bottles and carry them during their visit. People should realise that the water was not meant for cleaning the vessels, say the officials.

Even the rainwater harvesting system implemented in the park by Metrowater has not yielded expected results. There is a gradient in the park area and the water collected in the percolation pond will go either to the Anna University or CLRI campus, according to Dr. M. Karmegam, Director, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University.

A proposal to harvest rainwater in the Raj Bhavan area had been taken up. Dr. Karmegam has recommended the process on a regional basis. For example the place in which the water naturally drains into has to be identified in each area and the harvesting percolation pond has to be put up there. This method will be not only useful for the park, but also for throughout the city, he says.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Sivakasi student tops MBBS list
Next     : A belated sanction for abroad trip