Residents of Solaikadu in Pandrimalai Panchayat have complained of a severe drinking water shortage, alleging that water is being supplied only once every twenty days. Students at the Panchayat Union Primary School in Alagumadai are also facing difficulties due to the absence of drinking water supply.
Pandrimalai Panchayat, located in the Reddiyarchatram Union of Dindigul district, comprises several villages including Pandrimalai, Solaikadu, Malaiyandipuram, Alagumalai, Murukkadi, Rendalaipparai, and Amaidhicholai. Among these, Solaikadu and Alagumadai are experiencing acute drinking water scarcity.
Residents also report frequent power outages, making it difficult for people to move around during the night. When villagers visit the Pandrimalai Panchayat office to submit petitions requesting regular water supply to Solaikadu and Alagumadai, they are often forced to return because the Panchayat Secretary is allegedly absent from the office. It is further claimed that complaints made through mobile phone calls have not received any response.
The public has also complained that streetlights between Pandrimalai and Rendalaipparai are not functioning, allowing wild cattle to enter residential areas and increasing the movement of poisonous reptiles and insects.
At the Panchayat Union Primary School in Alagumadai, a drinking water pipeline was damaged about a week ago. Despite the passage of several days, the Panchayat administration has reportedly failed to repair it. As a result, cooks preparing meals under the government breakfast scheme are forced to fetch water from nearby locations in Alagumadai.
Residents of the hill villages have appealed to the district administration to take immediate steps to resolve the drinking water crisis in Pandrimalai Panchayat and safeguard public health.
Speaking on the issue, Karuppaiah (75), a resident of Alagumadai, said that electricity supply in the area is irregular and that it has been nearly twenty days since drinking water was last supplied. He alleged that water is not pumped and distributed properly even when electricity is available.
He further pointed out that since the Panchayat Secretary has to travel from Dindigul to attend the Pandrimalai Panchayat office, many local issues remain unnoticed and unresolved. He urged the authorities to appoint a dedicated Panchayat Secretary for the hill villages and take necessary measures to address the grievances of the residents.