The Hindu 08.10.2010
Good response to deposit collection camps in Nellai
Staff Reporter
| For drinking water connections in wards 19, 26 and 27 |
WATER ON THE WAY:Excavation is on for laying huge pipes at Suththamalli near Tamirabarani to take drinking water for Tirunelveli Corporation's
TIRUNELVELI: As the new drinking water project being executed on an outlay of Rs. 17.80 crore for the benefit of residents in wards 19, 26 and 27 is likely to be completed during April / May 2011, the Corporation, which has to pay its contribution of Rs. 8 crore for this scheme, has started collecting deposits from the public by conducting special camps at various points.
After these wards, mostly housing middle and upper middle class families on the periphery of the corporation limits experienced extreme drinking water crisis for the past several years owing to rapid expansion and due to the non-availability of a drinking water scheme, the massive project was designed by the local body to give around 11,000 drinking water connections including 10,750 domestic and 250 commercial connections in these three wards.
The Corporation is now constructing seven overhead tanks at Ezhil Nagar (3 lakh litre), Thamizh Nagar (2 lakh litre), Teachers' Colony (2 lakh litre), Thirumal Nagar (3 lakh litre), Perumalpuram (4 lakh litre), Canara Bank Colony (2 lakh litre) and Kumaresan Nagar (3 lakh litre) and a ground-level sump with a capacity of 2 lakh would be constructed at Teachers' Colony.
Since water from the 9 infiltration wells, to be sunk in Tamirabarani at Suththamalli, would be collected in this ground-level reservoir and then pumped to the overhead tanks, it was expected that the distribution of water would be smooth.
Though progress of this drinking water programme is near normal, the already cash-starved corporation has started feeling the pinch in arranging for funds to be given to the Erode-based firm executing the project. Hence, by conducting special camps, the urban civic body is collecting the deposit of Rs. 6,600 (Rs. 100 for registration of the application and Rs. 6,500 towards deposit) from the aspiring families.
Residents of Rajagopalapuram, Kumaresan Nagar, Malliga Colony, Sai Baba Nagar, Marshal Nagar, Sankar Colony, New Nehru Nagar, all under ward 19, Thirumal Nagar, Azhagar Nagar, Ramalinga Nagar, Pankaj Nagar, Keerthi Nagar, Athens City, Valluvar Nagar, VKS Nagar, P and T Colony, all under ward 26, Krishna Nagar, Zail Singh Nagar, Roja Nagar, Thamizh Nagar, Teachers' Colony, Tuckerammalpuram and Mahizhchi Nagar, all under ward 27, may pay the prescribed fee for getting drinking water connection.
While the first camp conducted at Thiyagaraja Nagar on October 2 saw the submission of 143 applications within two hours (between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.), the officials received 47 applications in the second camp conducted at Vaikarai Marriage Hall on the Reddiyarpatti Road on October 6 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Precisely, the corporation has managed to collect Rs. 12.54 lakh.
Buoyed by the response, the Melapalayam Zone of Tirunelveli Corporation will conduct the special camps between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Thirumal Nagar Park on October 9, Thiyagaraja Nagar Malliga Colony on October 13, Mahizhchi Nagar on October 16 and Thiyagaraja Nagar overhead tank main road on October 20.
Preference
As preference will be given to the depositors while giving drinking water connection, the residents should make use of these special camps, said Assistant Commissioner, Melapalayam Zone D. Karuppasamy after the end of the camp at Vaikarai Marriage Hall.
