Urban News

The Hindu  28.10.2010

Metrowater to study ADD cases

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater plans to study the acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) cases reported to the Communicable Diseases Hospital, Tondiarpet, in the last four years as part of its measures to improve the sewer system.

Officials of the water agency said that the data, to be obtained from Chennai Corporation, would help it identify the areas from where more cases were reported and the outbreak of ADD was frequent. Wherever water contamination was established as the cause for the outbreak, Metrowater would step up monitoring of the sewer system.

The study would be completed in a fortnight, an official said.

Besides slum areas across the city, the water agency would concentrate on localities in its Area I (Kodungaiyur and Tondiarpet), Area III (Perambur and Vyasarpadi), Area IV (Kilpauk and Ayanavaram) and Area VI (Triplicane and Chepauk) where the complaints recur.

The desilting equipment would be operated twice a day to clean the sewer lines across the city and to prevent blocks during monsoon. Now, the equipment is used once a day either in the morning or evening.

At present, there are nearly 77,000 manholes in the city.

Additional manholes would be provided in places where the distance between two manholes is found to be more than 50 metres.

Nearly 300 manholes are expected to be added to facilitate better maintenance of the sewer network, the officials said.

Steps are being taken to commission the sewage pumping stations where strengthening work is under way, including one on Greams Road, the officials added.

The Hindu                     27.10.2010

Rs. 79-crore drinking water project proposed

Staff Reporter

Nagercoil: The Government has proposed to implement a integrated drinking water project costing Rs.79 crore to distribute potable water to the residents in and around Kanyakumari.

A government order in this connection would be issued at the earliest. Deputy Chief Minister M. K. Stalin is likely to lay foundation stone for the implementation of this project, said Tourism Minister N. Suresh Rajan.

Inaugurating a filter house constructed at a cost of Rs.13 lakh at selection grade town panchayat at Aralvoimozhi on Sunday, the Minister said that under MLA Area Development Scheme, water would be distributed to the residents of Perumalpuram and Devasahayam Mount in the first phase.

In the second phase, water would be distributed to the residents of Mission compound and Aralvoimozhi special grade panchayat. After DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi came to power, a large number of welfare and development activities had already been implemented for the benefit of the poor and down-trodden, said the Minister.

The Minister also inaugurated part-time fair price shops at Elanthaiyadithattu and Mankavilai on Monday.

The long-pending demand of the people to set up part-time fair price shops had been fulfilled by the present Government. Around 150 family card hold holders of Mankavilai had to walk for more than 1.5 km to the fair price shop at Puthur in Rajakkamangalam union to purchase the essential commodities. Similarly, residents of Elanthaiyadithattu also had to walk for more than 1.5 k.m. to purchase essential commodities at Sundapattivilai fair price shop. When this hardship was brought to the notice of the officials, steps were taken to open part-time fair price shops by relaxing the norms.