PWD installs another borehole at Walajah court after water crisis disrupts proceedings
High-performance pumping sets will be installed to operate the new well, which has been dug to a depth of 400 meters, officials say. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
:
The Public Works Department (PWD) on Thursday installed a high capacity bore well at the District Munsif cum Magistrate Court in Walajah, Ranipet to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the complex.
The OZP lawsuit brought relief to hundreds of litigants, who are mostly farmers and small traders from remote villages, after the lawyers stayed for almost a week in court proceedings against the civil association’s interruption of water supply to the campus. “The new borehole in the court premises is a welcome measure as water scarcity affects everyone, including court staff, advocates and litigants,” said S. Veeraiyan, a litigant.
Currently, the British-era Walajah District Court has Magistrates and Munitions Courts in two-storied buildings in spacious premises. Among the five main courts in the district, including Ranipet, Arakkonam, Arcot and Sholinghur, the Walajah court is the oldest established in the early 1920s.
In this context, the existing well was installed in 1998 during the reconstruction of the new building of the court complex. The pipes were connected to the upper tank (OHT), which has a capacity of approximately 15,000 liters. Since then, the borehole has remained a key source for meeting the water needs of the court premises.
On an average, more than 200 litigants, mostly from Walajah taluk, visit the court every day. Approximately 120 lawyers work as regular practitioners. On average, over 150 cases come to court every day. Currently, the court requires a minimum of 5,000 liters of water to meet its daily needs. The borehole dried up due to depletion of groundwater in the area. Walajah Municipality provides water to the court twice a week from 2025.
A key water pipe that supplies water to the court premises was damaged almost a fortnight ago. Since then, the court has had to rely on private tankers to meet its needs. “Angry lawyers have decided to stay away from the court proceedings until a permanent solution to the water crisis is found. The new borehole will help us meet the water needs of the court,” said K. Elangovan, president of the Bar Association (Walajah).
PWD officials said a new borewell was laid at a depth of 400 meters to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the court buildings. High-performance pumping units will be installed to operate the well. The whole work will be finished within two days.
Published – 17 Jul 2026 0:34 IST