P. Sudhakar TIRUNELVELI: The Corporation has proposed to appeal to the District Collector not to carry out sand mining activities in the Tamirabharani within 10 km radius from the periphery of the city as sand quarrying being carried out near the water sources of the local body has badly hit the drinking water supply to the residents. For the supply of drinking water to the Palayamkottai residents, the Corporation is mainly depending upon the infiltration wells sunk in the Tamirabharani at Manappadaiveedu, Thirumalaikozhunthupuram and Padappaikurichi Theeppatchiyamman Temple. Similarly, the residents of Tirunelveli area get water from the infiltration wells in the perennial river at Kondaanagaram and Kurukkuthurai. However, the permission accorded by the Public Works Department to carry out sand quarrying near these drinking water sources badly affected the quality and quantity of water being supplied to the residents. During August 2007, the Corporation was forced to desilt infiltration wells at the Manappadaiveedu pumping station in the river after the wells were affected by severe sand mining. Complaints Following complaints from the residents on the poor quality of water being supplied to them every day, officials then inspected the wells, which were established in 1956 and expanded it 20 years later. They found that removal of sand around the wells for more than 10 feet had completely stopped filtration activity close to them, owing to depleted sand bed and brown-coloured water collected in the water body was being pumped for consumption.