Urban News

Source : The Hindu Date : 11.06.2009

Ramnad drinking water scheme inauguration today

CHENNAI: The long-felt desire of the people of the drought-prone Ramanathapuram district for sustainable drinking water supply becomes a reality on Thursday with the inauguration of the Rs.616-crore Ramanathapuram combined drinking water supply scheme.

At the Secretariat, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will, through video conferencing, formally commission the scheme. Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will participate in a function at Ramanathapuram town and give away assistance to beneficiaries of various welfare schemes.

Though the difference between the average annual rainfall of the State (91 cm) and that of the Ramanathapuram district (83 cm) is not much, groundwater available in most places of the district at a depth beyond seven metres is saline.

The fresh water available dries up quickly within two-three months after northeast monsoon. As a result, the district has been suffering from acute water shortage in most part of the year.

This is why the need for a stable source has become crucial. As part of its efforts to solve the drinking water problem in Ramanathapuram, the government decided to tap the Cauvery water.

The combined drinking water supply scheme has been envisaged, providing 50 million litres a day (MLD) initially and 100 MLD eventually. Apart from the entire Ramanathapuram district, wayside habitations of Sivaganga and Pudukottai districts are covered. Totally, five municipalities, 11 town panchayats and 3,163 rural habitations in 18 panchayat unions are covered. At present, the population of about 15.75 lakh in the three districts is covered. By 2036, the population will be 20 lakh.

Four collector wells across the river Cauvery in Tiruchi district – three near Mutharasanallur and one near Kadiyakurichi – have been constructed.

Water will be conveyed through 5,220-km-long pumping and gravity main lines. It will be collected in 119 sumps and 601 over head tanks and finally, distributed through 198-km-long distribution lines. In January 2007, Mr. Karunanidhi laid the foundation stone for the scheme, which was divided into eight packages.

Contracts

Contracts for the packages were settled between March and September 2007. Against the normal duration of three years for the execution of a project of this size, the government directed the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the executing agency, to complete it in two years.

Even three months ahead of the stipulated period, the project has been completed, a senior official of the Board says, adding that Mr Stalin commenced a trial run of the project in February last.

Source : The Hindu Date : 10.06.2009

Metrowater takes initiative to ensure equitable water distribution

K.Lakshmi

—Photo: M.Vedhan

Improvement measures: Construction of additional underground sumps such as this one in Kilpauk Water Works is part of Chennai Metrowater’s initiative to improve supply.

CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater is in the process of installing sluice valves in the water distribution network as a measure to improve the supply to tail-end areas.

Under the project taken up to address the complaints of residents of such localities about inadequate water supply, the sluice valves would ensure in equitable supply.

A Metrowater official said that when the water meant for distribution to a particular area was pumped into the pipeline, the localities en route also received the supply. Once the boundaries of each area were marked by providing nearly 1,000 valves in the distribution mains, all households in the area for which it was meant would receive sufficient supply.

Work order for the project has been issued recently for isolation of the 16 water supply zones of Chennai Metrowater. It would be executed as part of the improvement works to the water distribution system under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The project would be completed by September next year, the official said.

The improvement works being taken up in the four major water distribution stations — Kilpauk, Anna Poonga in Royapuram, Southern Head Works (Valluvar Kottam) and K. K. Nagar — would facilitate the distribution of water with adequate water pressure to 532 streets connected to the network. In addition to these, all pumping stations would also be taken up for upgradation under the project.

Additional storage facility

Almost 70 per cent of the work to provide additional storage facility in Kilpauk water works has been finished so far. It would be completed by October this year. With the construction of new underground sumps, the storage capacity would be increased to 91 million litres (ML) from the existing 47 ML. This would benefit the surrounding areas such as Aminjikarai, Ayanavaram, Villivakkam and Anna Nagar.

Similarly, work is on in full swing in the K. K. Nagar zone and Anna Poonga and the projects would be completed by October this year and April 2010 respectively.

“With the pipeline network inside the pumping station at the Southern Headworks, Valluvar Kottam, replaced recently, we are able to save nearly Rs.1.5 lakh on electricity bills every month. This has been made possible mainly on account of the increase in the capacity of the new facilities,” the official said.

For residents, a significant increase in the water pressure in these four zones, however, would happen only on completion of the strengthening of the pipeline network.

A new pipeline has been laid over 37 out of the 169-km route in the Kilpauk zone. About 20-km-long new pipeline has been laid in the entire 61 km network in the K. K. Nagar zone. The remaining work would be completed by the year-end, the official added.