The Hindu              21.01.2014

Vaigai clean-up drive begins

Armed with gloves, masks and bins, Corporation officials and sanitary workers and students of Meenakshi Government College for Women started a two-day clean-up drive of the Vaigai on Monday Morning.

The exercise, initiated under the ‘Alagiya Madurai Maanagar Thittam’ (AMMA Scheme), began in the presence of Corporation Commissioner Kiran Gurrala and Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa. The Mayor said that through this cleanliness drive, they hoped to involve the public and spread awareness of the need to keep the river free of pollution.

“We will also address the issue of sewage being discharged into the river. We plan to have two garbage lorries stationed on the river banks to collect garbage through the day,” he said.

The Vaigai river bed, which is dry in most parts, is often used as a garbage dump by people in the surrounding areas as well as passers-by. People just fling garbage bags into the river. Encroachments along the banks also pose a problem.

The clean-up drive will cover a six-km stretch between Vilangudi and Teppakulam (PTR bridge). Nearly 150 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from Meenakshi college took part in the drive on Monday and more students and organisations are expected to join the clean-up drive on Tuesday.

The bulk of the work will, however, be carried out by 200 Corporation conservancy workers. They will make use of 12 tractors, 2 tipper lorries and four small machines.

The Hindu                11.01.2014

Water supply disrupted in Suramangalam

Residents in Suramangalam were put to hardship as drinking water was not supplied to them for the past 14 days. The reason, the pipeline that supply water to the residential areas was damaged while laying of pipelines for the Mettur – Salem Dedicated Water Supply Scheme on December 27, 2013.

But the pipeline was not replaced and hence, water was not supplied to these areas.

K. Viswanathan, a resident of Rajaji Street, said that in spite of taking up the issue with corporation officials, no action was taken. “The road was dug and it also disrupts the traffic flow near the junction,” he added.

On Friday, workers replaced the damaged pipeline and officials assured the residents that water would be supplied immediately. They also said that the pipeline that crosses the road would be completely replaced in two days so that damage does not occur again. Frequent breakage of existing pipelines was reported at many places in the city due to laying of 1100 mm diameter pipelines for the dedicated water supply scheme. Officials said that damaged pipelines were replaced at the earliest and water supply restored.