Yelagiri Hills in Tirupattur, known for its wooded forests, streams, and gardens , is reeling under water scarcity and is struggling to meet the consumption of its residents. The temperature has been soaring and this has dried up all the government dug borewells and also the open wells in the hills.
A cluster of 14 tribal hamlets in the hills constitute Yelagiri village panchayat, which comprises 1,598 households, 40 hotels and resorts, and 15 educational institutions. Most families are tribal farmers and labourers. Some of them also depend on honey collection.
As the hills are of rugged terrain, residents mostly depend on water supplied by the panchayat for consumption and other domestic use as they cannot afford to dig borewells and open wells individually due to the high cost involved. “In the hills, families are using water from a few private borewells that still hold water in them as many water bodies like lakes and ponds in the hills have become dry,” said S. Mariammal, a resident.
