The water trouble of Annai Nagar

“Compared to many villages in Tamil Nadu, Alankuppam is well-off,” says Moris from Auroville’s Village Action (AVAG), pointing at its clean, pothole-free roads. Alankuppam is part of the Puducherry Union Territory, located in one of Puducherry’s enclaves in Tamil Nadu, near Auroville. Annai Nagar, the dalit settlement of Alankuppam, shares its clean appearance. But in this village a water problem has arisen.

“The groundwater level has gone down and the well is dry. A nearby landowner now supplies water to the overhead water tank, but he charges for it,” says Moris. “The costs are paid by the Government of Puducherry, but the situation is not ideal. The villagers resent depending on a private individual for an essential need.”

A year ago, a government grant enabled AVAG to improve the drinking water situation in 15 villages around Auroville. “In most villages we installed hand pumps, but in Annai Nagar we decided to dig a well,” says Moris. Discussions on the best location were settled when a water diviner selected an ideal spot – however, on a piece of land owned by Auroville. “What followed was a series of mistakes,” admits Moris. “We had sent the drilling rig to the village, but when the best spot was finally selected I could not be contacted and no-one acted to get permission. The villagers waited for some time, but as the rig owner was charging by the day, they decided to go ahead.” When called afterwards by Auroville, the villagers and AVAG duly apologized, but by that time the well was dug. Auroville refused permission to use it.

“The situation has been blocked for almost a year now,” says Moris. The local MLA [member of the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry, eds.] very much wants Auroville to give a NOC [No Objection Certificate, eds.]. The Government of Puducherry is ready to install a pump and make the electricity connection on condition that Auroville provide the NOC, but Auroville hasn’t made up its mind as this piece of land is to be exchanged for land within the greenbelt or city area.”

The old well is about 95 metres deep while the new well goes to a depth of 122 metres. “The ground water levels are going down everywhere,” says Moris gravely. “When we ask the people for the reason, the standard reply is that the monsoon has failed. But that’s not true. In the past, the villages harvested rainwater in village ponds. But the channels in the catchment area, which conducted the rainwater to the ponds, are now almost all blocked because of house constructions. Lack of recharge is one reason for the lowering of the water level.”

Another reason is money. “People are over-pumping the aquifer for watering their farm lands,” explains Moris. “As electricity for farming is free in Puducherry and in Tamil Nadu, farmers keep their pumps running all day and even sell water to their neighbours. Ideally, they should install drip irrigation or cultivate the traditional crops of this area that don’t need much water. Instead, they are growing cash-crops such as coconut, casuarina, sugarcane and paddy that bring in more money but require large volumes of water.”

The lowering of the ground water level in Annai Nagar has yet another reason. “There is not much agriculture in this village,” says Moris. “The drop here is a consequence of improved standards of living. The water from the overhead tank is supposed to feed the public taps in every street but, instead, people have laid pipelines into their houses. They use the water for their personal needs and for their cattle and gardens.”

Meanwhile, a new Puducherry government scheme is sponsoring the building of home toilets with a contribution of Rs 12,000. This is not sufficient. A toilet costs approximately Rs 20,000, so the villager has to pay the rest. AVAG is arranging for bank loans for the people,” says Moris. While the initiative will greatly enhance sanitation and personal comfort, it will also put additional stress on the ground water. “We are also concerned about the effluent,” admits Moris. “Part of the government grant must be used for building leach pits, but leach pits pollute the ground water. Ideally, people should build septic tanks, but these are still too expensive.”

As village awareness about groundwater issues is under-developed, AVAG plans to start an educational programme to create more understanding, though with little hope that it will substantially impact the situation. Annai Nagar’s villagers, meanwhile, are awaiting Auroville’s decision.