The Hindu 11.07.2013
Rs.68-cr water scheme planned
To benefit over 100 villages around Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project site
: The district administration has drawn an extensive
plan on an outlay of Rs.68.08 crore for supplying drinking water from
the Tamiraparani to over 100 habitats around Kudankulam Nuclear Power
Project (KKNPP) site as there is no reliable drinking water source in
the coastal area. The proposal will replace a plan to set up two
desalination plants.
Under the KKNPP Neighbourhood
Development Programme, designed by the State Government on an outlay of
Rs.500 crore, it was initially decided to set up two mega desalination
plants at Uvari and Panjal to supply drinking water to all coastal
hamlets in Radhapuram taluk. However, the annual maintenance cost of
Rs.9 crore for operating the desalination plants became a deterrent to
the execution of the project.
As an alternative,
Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board was asked to draft a new
scheme, under which the Tamiraparani will be used as the source.
As
per the new plan, infiltration wells will be sunk at Vallanaadu and
Muththaalankurichi on the banks of the Tamiraparani in Tuticorin
district from where the water will be taken through 120-km-long pipes to
62 villages under Koodankulam, Kooththenkuzhi, Thiruvambalapuram,
Vijayapathi, Irukkanthurai, Chettikulam, Levingipuram,
Parameshwarapuram, Uthayaththur, Navvaladi, Uvari, Karaisuttru Uvari and
Kuttam village panchayats in Radhapuram union.
The
Tamiraparani water will also be taken to another 38 villages in
Valliyoor panchayat union to take the total number of beneficiary
villages to 100, where over 85,000 people live.
“The
quantity of water being supplied now is insufficient. Hence, the new
scheme has been designed. Once the new scheme is completed in a year,
every person in these areas will get 30 litres of drinking water a day,”
said Collector C.Samayamoorthy.