Localities around key water storage facilities in the suburbs are becoming a hotbed for illegal ground water extraction with residents raising an alarm about the depleting water table. Private water tankers queue up in the areas adjoining reservoirs and tanks and draw thousands of litres through borewells every day. The steady extraction over the past decade is now showing its effects as several pockets in the city are experiencing a dip in their groundwater levels.
Nallur, a northern suburb near Cholavaram reservoir, has become the base for illicit extraction of water. Similar unaccounted exploitation is widespread near Sembakkam Lake in Chitlapakkam, on south Chennai's fringes. Residents of Nallur complain that water is being drawn from housing plots close to the reservoir.
"They mostly carry out their clandestine operations at night.Within 90 minutes, 25 water tankers exit our neighbourhood with huge quantities of groundwater illegally extracted from borewells," a resident said, raising concerns over the availability of water for people in the area.
During the day, too, a few water tankers are parked near borewells in these areas.
The groundwater table has dropped by nearly 100ft say residents, squarely laying the blame for the unabated violations of poor regulation.
"The groundwater table has gone down from 70ft to 80ft, a decade ago to 180ft now," another resident of the locality said. Tankers, with a capacity of 13,500 litres each, ferry water to restaurants, lodges and high-rise residential complexes across Chennai. While some have purchased plots to extract water, tankers also extract water from land belonging to residents for a fixed price. A tanker operator said water available in the area is in demand because of its good quality.When a TOI reporter posed as a potential customer, the operator assured him that the water he supplied is of high quality and is regularly purchased by a leading restaurant chain in the city. "I charge Rs 4,000 to deliver one load (13,500 litres) of drinking water," he said.
He was, however, ready to offer a lower price for water extracted from a site near Madhavaram, but said it was not potable. "You can use that water for all purposes except for drinking," he said. The cost of a load is Rs 2,500. In southern suburbs like Chitlapakkam, the tanker mafia has been plundering Sembakkam Lake and selling water in Pallavaram, Keezhkattalai and Chromepet. Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents' Welfare Association secretary M Ravi said the lake, spread over 104 acres, had been destroyed by the mafia and letters to the chief minister's special cell evoked no response. Residents said in 2015 the groundwater table at the lake depleted drastically and residents had to sink borewells up to a depth of 400ft to strike water.
A former elected member of the Pallavapuram municipality said, "Every day at least 200 truckloads of water is extracted from Nanmangalam Lake, most of which is in Pallavaram. Hotels and restaurants are the main culprits. They cart away water throughout the day. Local politicians get a cut from the sale of the water.Each load costs upward of Rs 1,500," he said.
Since neither the city police nor civic officials are taking action against the violators, only intervention by the courts could possibly end the menace, he said.
When contacted, Tiruvallur district revenue officials promised to initiate necessary action on the illegal extraction of groundwater at Nallur. Pallavaram municipality officials, however, refused to comment.
Nallur, a northern suburb near Cholavaram reservoir, has become the base for illicit extraction of water. Similar unaccounted exploitation is widespread near Sembakkam Lake in Chitlapakkam, on south Chennai's fringes. Residents of Nallur complain that water is being drawn from housing plots close to the reservoir.
"They mostly carry out their clandestine operations at night.Within 90 minutes, 25 water tankers exit our neighbourhood with huge quantities of groundwater illegally extracted from borewells," a resident said, raising concerns over the availability of water for people in the area.
During the day, too, a few water tankers are parked near borewells in these areas.
The groundwater table has dropped by nearly 100ft say residents, squarely laying the blame for the unabated violations of poor regulation.
"The groundwater table has gone down from 70ft to 80ft, a decade ago to 180ft now," another resident of the locality said. Tankers, with a capacity of 13,500 litres each, ferry water to restaurants, lodges and high-rise residential complexes across Chennai. While some have purchased plots to extract water, tankers also extract water from land belonging to residents for a fixed price. A tanker operator said water available in the area is in demand because of its good quality.When a TOI reporter posed as a potential customer, the operator assured him that the water he supplied is of high quality and is regularly purchased by a leading restaurant chain in the city. "I charge Rs 4,000 to deliver one load (13,500 litres) of drinking water," he said.
He was, however, ready to offer a lower price for water extracted from a site near Madhavaram, but said it was not potable. "You can use that water for all purposes except for drinking," he said. The cost of a load is Rs 2,500. In southern suburbs like Chitlapakkam, the tanker mafia has been plundering Sembakkam Lake and selling water in Pallavaram, Keezhkattalai and Chromepet. Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents' Welfare Association secretary M Ravi said the lake, spread over 104 acres, had been destroyed by the mafia and letters to the chief minister's special cell evoked no response. Residents said in 2015 the groundwater table at the lake depleted drastically and residents had to sink borewells up to a depth of 400ft to strike water.
A former elected member of the Pallavapuram municipality said, "Every day at least 200 truckloads of water is extracted from Nanmangalam Lake, most of which is in Pallavaram. Hotels and restaurants are the main culprits. They cart away water throughout the day. Local politicians get a cut from the sale of the water.Each load costs upward of Rs 1,500," he said.
Since neither the city police nor civic officials are taking action against the violators, only intervention by the courts could possibly end the menace, he said.
When contacted, Tiruvallur district revenue officials promised to initiate necessary action on the illegal extraction of groundwater at Nallur. Pallavaram municipality officials, however, refused to comment.