Chennai
was marooned in Dec 2015 and that might affect the political fortunes of
parties ! – water, has played a major role in electoral politics. About a century ago, things were different –
subjects were initially dependent on shallow wells and later on Municipal water
taps – people trying hard on hand-pumps was common at every house and at every
streets. That water in the tap came from local pumping stations and primarily
from the Kilpauk water works. Kilpauk
Water Works holds several historical monuments and systems that were in use
till about half decade ago. Inaugurated
a century and a couple of years back,
Kilpauk Water Works was the first treatment plant for the city with 80
million litres a day capacity then.
Remember your school days…. [if you are 40+] ~ there used to be rusted iron pipes from the water tank……. Students would line before the water tank [very thought would make modern day youngsters and mothers scary] – there would be no tumblers or receptacles, one would open the tab / lift the nozzle, keep one’s hand in a manner that falling water would find its way to the mouth……none cared to check of its purity, taste, colour, odour and more…….. a few decades earlier, perhaps none would have imagined that water would be ‘crore industry – with multi-brands’ ruling the market…life has changed since !! Water today is a hot selling commodity – with Multinationals and big Corporates having their own brands and another chunk being garnered by local companies calling themselves ‘packaged water providers’. From potable water to mineral water, as it was sold in the beginning…… mineral water actually, is water from a mineral spring containing various minerals such as salts and sulfur compounds, much water has flowed….. Though the packaged water that you get in bottles / cans of various capacities…… may not even be chemically treated water containing any minerals ~ people are finicky, most cannot drink water in hotels, restaurants and public places but buy mineral water bottles – some cannot survive without specified brands.
Without
dwelling more at length, SYMA thought it fit to arrange ‘thanneer pandal’ –
providing quality drinking water to common man.
It has been put to action and is running for a fortnight now. A RO plant has been put up and there is a
water tap outside SYMA Office at 29 TP Koil Street, Opp to Barathiyar Illam,
nearer Sri Azhagiya Singar sannathi, Thiruvallikkeni. Quality water is available to public right
from 7 am in the morning till 7 pm in the evening. Even after SYMA medical facility is closed at
around 7 pm, water would be available in the tap for an hour or so.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
10th May 2016.
