Urban News

The Hindu  08.10.2010

Good response to deposit collection camps in Nellai

Staff Reporter

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.

The Hindu  05.10.2010

Coimbatore Corpn. to sell treated sewage

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation will sell treated sewage to four private establishments and a State Government undertaking at Rs.20 for 1,000 litres, when its treatment plants begin functioning, after the completion of the Rs. 377-crore underground drainage scheme.

It is being implemented now in eight sewerage scheme zones in the city.

Availability

The Corporation stated that 170 million litres of treated sewage would be obtained from three treatment plants being established at Ukkadam, Nanjundapuram and Ondipudur.

It, however, clarified that the waste water was not for drinking. It could be used for other purposes, including irrigation.

The Corporation advertised its proposal in newspapers and invited interested parties to the plant sites to explain the process of sewage treatment. The parties were explained on how the final product would be fit for use for non-drinking purposes.

After this, the private firms and the Government undertaking offered to buy the treated waste water.

Their offers and the entire proposal were placed in the Corporation Council on Wednesday for its approval.

Rakindo Township at Pachapalayam in Perur had asked for four million litres a day, Sharada Terry Products wanted 10 mld, The Coimbatore Golf Club four mld, Larsen and Toubro at Malumichampatty one mld and Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation two lakh litres.

The Corporation said it proposed to charge Rs.10 for 1,000 litres of treated waste water from the buyers.

Councillors, however, said Rs.10 was too meagre an amount and wanted it to be increased to Rs. 20 for 1,000 litres.

The Corporation said apart from the five establishments, those who wanted to buy the treated water could buy it at Rs.20 for 1,000 litres from the treatment plants or from the four sewage lagoons at Vellalore.