180 families await drinking water connection after paying deposit to Tirunelveli Corporation

Tirunelveli Mayor G. Ramakrishnan receiving a petition from the public during the grievance day meeting on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN Seeking drinking water connection to 180 families living in the Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Development Mission apartments in Melapalayam Zone, a petition was submitted to Mayor G. Ramakrishnan during the weekly grievances redress meeting on Tuesday.In the petition, members of ‘We The Leaders’ organisation said 320 poor families living in the Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Development Mission apartments had paid ₹1.90 lakh as their contribution for getting their houses. Of these, 180 families had paid ₹9,380 each to Tirunelveli Corporation for getting domestic drinking water connection.Even though this amount was paid several years ago, the Corporation was yet to give them drinking water connections, forcing the residents to fetch drinking water from other sources or buy it from private suppliers at a huge monthly expenditure.“Since the Corporation, after collecting the deposit for giving drinking water connection, has the responsibility to fulfill its commitment, the urban civic body should take steps for quenching the thirst of the poor families. Moreover, the Corporation should give these affected families in writing the reason behind the delay in giving drinking water connection and details about the total deposit collected so far from the residents of this apartments,” said the petitioners.Another petition submitted by ‘We The Leaders’ appealed to the Mayor to level the uneven road in Ward No. 17 in Old Pettai area which was dug for laying the underground drainage pipes and installing the manholes. Since rainwater is stagnating in the pits on these badly damaged roads after recent rain, it had become accident-prone, particularly at night, besides turning into a breeding ground for mosquito, the petition said.‘We The Leaders’ also submitted a petition urging the Corporation to reconsider its decision to build a drain along Sivan Vadakku Maada Veethi in Ward No. 34 under Palayamkottai Zone of Tirunelveli Corporation.Since all the houses along this street had drainage connection to the channel behind the houses, there was no need for building one more channel in front of the houses. “If new drainage channel is built along Sivan Vadakku Maada Street, it will be just waste of public money. Hence, the Corporation officials should inspect the spot and give up the decision,” the petition said. Published - October 27, 2026 06:37 pm IST