On Sunday, residents of Melpadi village near Katpadi in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, blocked Tiruvalama Main Road, demanding the resumption of water supply for household use. The village, which comprises nine wards and around 3,500 families, has been struggling with inadequate water supply, especially during recent soaring temperatures. Many residents have resorted to traveling 5-10 km to fetch water from nearby towns, Katpadi and Tiruvalam. K. Devi, a local resident, highlighted the issue, stating that the groundwater in the area is salty, making them reliant on the civic body's water supply. The situation arose due to the local panchayat's failure to connect water pipelines to a newly constructed overhead tank (OHT) after the old tank collapsed months ago. Currently, the village requires an average of 3.5 lakh litres of water daily for consumption, but the existing motor pump supplying the new OHT is non-functional. In response to the protests, local police and revenue officials intervened, calming the residents. Panchayat officials are now arranging for private tanker lorries to temporarily supply water until the new system is operational.