The Hindu             21.10.2013

Water pipeline replacement work begins in Coimbatore

The Coimbatore Corporation’s work to replace water supply pipelines in a few added areas has begun. According to sources, the officials of the Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company Limited have began the work by carrying out contour mapping exercise in Kavundampalayam and a few other areas. Two teams of three persons each are on the job.

They are expected to complete the work in two months and thereafter submit the detailed project report. Based on the report the Corporation will float tender and award the same to the lowest bidder.

The sources say that the Corporation was forced to go in for the work because the water supply pipelines in the added areas are inadequate to meet the current demands.

The Aliyar and Bhavani combined water supply schemes designed for Kurichi and Kuniamuthur and Kavundampalayam and Vadavalli respectively were designed keeping in mind the population in 2021. But the 2013 population matches the population projected for 2021. In short, the scheme designed in only 2001 had proved inadequate, owing to the rapid increase in population. The population in Kavundampalayam has increased by 75 per cent between 2001 and 2011. And, in Vadavalli, the population growth for the same period is 100 per cent. For this project, the Corporation has planned to take the population projected for 2016 as the base and design the scheme for the next 30 years. The project gets funding under the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Programme.

135 litres / capita a day

The sources say that once the project is implemented, the Corporation will be able to supply at least 135 litres per capita a day (lpcd). At present it is able to supply only 70 lpcd, that too only for two to three hours a day.

As part of the project, the Corporation will also construct overhead tanks and sumps. This will ensure that the added areas have separate pipelines and tanks for groundwater and drinking water supplies.

At present, the Corporation supplies both types of water through the same pipeline.

The sources add that once the project is completed, the water supply pipelines in the added areas will be on a par with those in the city.