The Hindu              31.12.2013

Chennai gets 10 new water supply projects

Special Correspondent

The Central government has approved a proposal for 10 new water supply projects for Chennai city.

The proposal includes water supply schemes for Pallikarani, Chinnasekkadu, Puzhal, Surapattu, Puthagaram, Kathirvedu, Vadaperumabakkam, Theeyambakkam, Edayanchavadi, Sadayankuppam, Kadapakkam, Palavakkam, Mugalivakkam, Manali, Kotivakkam, and Perungudi. These projects have been sanctioned at an approved cost of Rs. 27,114.11 lakh and the Centre will contribute 35 per cent towards the total cost.

Borewells are the primary source of water in many of these areas. Also, a majority of the existing distribution systems are very old and not sufficient to carry the required water to the population. Water connections are also not metered. There is high water loss in the distribution network. The projects aim to improve the quality and quantity of service, water metering, reduction in leakages and energy consumption , the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The projects have been approved at a meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) of the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

The Hindu                 28.12.2013

Uyyakondan cleaning campaign gets backing of officials, civic body

SLOW DEATH:Indiscriminate dumping of garbage and discharge of raw sewage is destroying the Uyyakondan channel.— FILE PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM

The district administration and the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation will join the efforts of private organisations to prevent pollution of the Uyyakondan canal that runs across the city.

The canal takes its flow from the Cauvery near Pettavaithalai and runs across Tiruchi.

It traverses about 69 km between Pettavaithalai and Vazhavanthankottai tank, but has been subject to heavy urban pollution on a 16-km urban stretch. The canal has an ayacut area of over 32,000 acres and feeds 36 tanks and is still a large number of people take bath in it.

Open drains and sewage from households and commercial establishment flow into the river at several places in the city. Thaneer, a voluntary group which took up a campaign to revive the Mavadikulam in the city, has recently taken up the task of clearing garbage from the canal banks between the Thennur Uzhvar Sandhai and Azhvarthoppu.

Uyyakondan Padukkappu Kuzhu (Uyyakondan Protection Committee), another voluntary body comprising civic and residents welfare organisations, launched an awareness campaign recently to sensitise people against polluting the canal.

Taking cognizance of the initiatives, District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan convened a meeting a few days ago with officials of the corporation,

Public Works Department, and other agencies to discuss the issue. Representatives of the Uyyakondan Padukappu Kuzhu attended the meeting. The meeting resolved to launch an awareness campaign to prevent pollution of the canal, place garbage bins along its course, and build parapet walls along minor bridges across the canal at Palakkarai, Eda Theru, and Periyar Nagar to prevent dumping of garbage into it. It was decided that the corporation would identify buildings along the canal which had not been connected to underground drainage network and provide the connections to the same.

The Collector would lead the campaign that is to be launched on December 31.