Residents block key stretch near Ambur demanding resumption of water supply

Residents staging a protest for water supply in Veerankuppam village on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement As parched lakes and ponds turned wells and borewells dry, residents, mostly women, blocked the Ambur - Pernambut Main Road in Veerankuppam village on Wednesday, demanding immediate resumption of water supply for household consumption.Residents said the village comprises three hamlets. The village has around 2,500 families. With soaring temperatures in recent weeks, water supply to households, including street corner tanks were not provided by the local panchayat on a regular basis. Irregular supply of water made residents travel at least 5-10 km to fetch a few pots of water from Ambur and Pernambut towns. “The panchayat has completely stopped water supply to households in the hamlet since several days. As groundwater in the area is salty, we depend on water provided by the civic body for consumption,” said R. Sumitha, a resident. Around 8 a.m on Wednesday, residents blocked the stretch, demanding resumption of water supply. Local police and revenue officials reached the spot and pacified agitated residents, who dispersed peacefully after assurance of action from authorities. “We have instructed panchayat officials to ensure regular water supply for consumption. We will also ensure that such basic amenities are available to residents without any delay,” said a revenue official.Panchayat officials said on an average, over one lakh litres of water is required for household consumption every day. Most of the water is sourced from two borewells in the village and another from neighbouring Venkatasamuthiram village where groundwater level is high and also fit for consumption. Water from these borewells were pumped to four overhead tanks (OHTs) in the village. However, panchayat officials said that the existing borewell in the village hamlet had gone defunct a few weeks ago due to low ground water level. The pump sets for the borewell were repaired after complaints by residents.Affected persons reside in tail-end areas of the village. Efforts were taken to supply water to these affected areas, panchayat officials said. Published - September 02, 2026 11:22 pm IST