Ramanathapuram water crisis: Pillayarkulam families wait months for safe drinking water

Families in Pillaiyarkulam, a settlement in Sayalkudi taluk of Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district, say they have been living without clean drinking water supply for months.

Residents allege that despite being covered under the Cauvery Combined Drinking Water Scheme, water has stopped reaching the village, leaving them to walk long distances in search of potable water.

The crisis is unfolding in one of Tamil Nadu's most water-stressed regions. Ramanathapuram district has long struggled with highly saline groundwater, with some pockets recording salinity levels comparable to seawater. Villages across Kamuthi, Sayalkudi and Kadaladi have repeatedly faced severe drinking water shortages, particularly during the summer months.

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Residents say Pillaiyarkulam lacks a proper overhead water tank. Instead, water meant for the settlement is collected in a makeshift ground-level pit, and the supply is highly irregular. Locals also allege that people living along the pipeline route divert water to private groves and wells before it reaches the village, leaving the settlement without water for months at a stretch.

Residents speak

A resident from Suruvadu in Pillaiyarkulam described the daily struggle to fetch drinking water.

"We live near Suruvadu, yet we have to walk one to one and a half kilometres just to fetch water. If we make one trip, we are too exhausted to make another. The children miss school because of this. Our livelihood has been like this and we are living in a forest like area. We are requesting the government to help us," the resident said.

Another resident from Pillaiyar Valam Colony said the problem has persisted despite repeated complaints.

"We have lived here in Pillaiyar Valam Colony for 30 years, yet there is no water supply. It has been three months since the water stopped flowing. We have raised this issue countless times and approached the Panchayat authorities, but no action is being taken," the resident said.

Residents say the prolonged disruption has affected their daily lives, making access to basic drinking water increasingly difficult.

Beyond water

According to villagers, the hardships extend beyond the drinking water crisis. With no proper roads connecting the settlement, families and schoolchildren must walk through snake-infested forest paths to reach the nearest main road.

Residents also say bus services have remained suspended for months at a time. In the absence of regular public transport, some children are forced to pay for private vehicles to travel to school, provided a vehicle is available.

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At times, villagers say they gather near a leaking section of the Cauvery drinking water pipeline late at night to collect whatever water seeps out. They claim the quantity is often too little to meet the needs of more than a handful of families.

Long wait

Villagers say they have submitted petitions to the Panchayat, the Ramanathapuram district collector and the Tamil Nadu government, but claim successive administrations have failed to resolve the issue.

For the residents of Pillaiyarkulam, the demands remain unchanged: a permanent drinking water connection and a proper road that allows children to travel safely to school without risking their lives.