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.