CHENNAI: Patients and their relatives in the maternity ward are spending Rs 140 per day on drinking water

Chennai: Patients and their attendants at a government hospital in Tiruvallur district have been facing a lot of problems due to water shortage for several months now. Patients in the maternity ward alleged that the reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier plant on the ground floor is often out of order. Water supply to toilets is also erratic and the problem has been persisting for the past two months. Attendant E. Gunammal lamented spending Rs 140 every day for drinking water. “I have been taking care of my daughter for the past six days. It is very difficult to spend so much money every day, but I cannot compromise on the quality of water,” she said. Another attendant in the main block admitted that poor sanitation and water shortage have been a problem at the hospital for ages. “This needs to be addressed soon. Though officials are taking action, they are going in vain. The drinking water is not pure, so we buy water from outside,” the attendant said. To meet the water needs of Tiruvallur GH, the municipality provides 5 tanker lorries free of cost. “We are ready to provide 15 more lorries to meet the water needs of the GH,” said Tiruvallur Municipal Commissioner N Dhamodharan. “But charges are applicable for additional lorries.” However, Tiruvallur GH dean J Revathi dismissed these allegations and told DT Next that there is no water shortage problem in the maternity block. “We are supplying drinking water through 18 tanker lorries, of which 8 have been deployed by private parties. Nine borewells are operational. Now, we are planning to install two more to meet the growing water demand,” she said.