The Hindu      14.05.2010

‘Protect water treatment plants of Hogenakkal scheme from wild animals'

Staff Reporter

TWAD Board Chairman inspects construction works

Swaran Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, inspecting the construction of underground water storage tank at Madam village near Pennagaram for Hogenakkal Drinking Water and Fluorosis Mitigation Programme on Thursday.

DHARMAPURI: Swaran Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, gave instructions to officials to give maximum provision to protect the water treatment plants of the Hogenakkal Drinking Water and Fluorosis Mitigation Project from wild elephants from the nearby reserve forests.

Mr. Singh inspected the various construction works of the project on Thursday along with Collector P. Amutha.

He inspected the construction works of the 2.4-crore-litre mega underground water storage tank at Madam village. Later, he inspected the water treatment plants and construction of head works of the project in Hogenakkal.

He also gave instructions to the TWAD Board officials and the advisors of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the funding agency for the project. JICA extended Rs. 1928.80 crore for the Hogenakkal project for Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. Of the revised project cost, the loan component of the JICA will be Rs.1,585.6 crore; the Minimum Needs Programme's component Rs.307.48 crore and urban local bodies' share Rs.35.72 crore.

Using the Cauvery as the source, the project is aimed at providing drinking water to people of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts in three municipalities, 17 town panchayats and 6,755 rural habitations over 18 panchayat unions, according to an order issued by the State Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, during the last week of January.

The cost has been revised due to a number of factors such as the redesign of water main lines branching from the master balancing reservoirs and the consequent changes in the type, class and size of pipes.

Introduction of intermediate booster and allocation of maintenance staff and increase in power consumption are among the other reasons.

The government has also sanctioned Rs.318.35 crore towards the cost of operation and maintenance for five years subject to the condition that the amount collected from beneficiaries by the TWAD Board will be deducted while releasing funds to the Board.

The project has been divided into five packages.

A work order for Rs.237.18 crore was issued by the Board to IVRCL Infrastructures and Projects to cover the first package, covering the works of raw water intake, water treatment plant, water transmission main of raw water and treated water for 11.5 km, master balancing reservoir and the establishment of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system during the last week of January.