24/7 water supply in Tiruchi yet to become a reality

TIRUCHI

Almost 10 years have gone by since Tiruchi Corporation mooted a plan to provide 24/7 drinking water supply to the residents of the city but, it is yet to become a reality.

There are about 1.25 lakh water supply connections including about 6,000 commercial connections in the city. Situated on the banks of the Cauvery and the Kollidam, the city is better placed than many other cities and towns in meeting the drinking water requirements of the residents. It has an installed capacity of about 125 MLD of drinking water from various sources in the riverbeds of the Cauvery and the Kollidam. Except for some high-level areas and rocky terrain, there has been no shortage of drinking water in the city ever since the implementation of the drinking water scheme from the Kollidam, which has the capacity to supply 71 MLD of water, was undertaken.

After taking into consideration various factors and good water resources, the civic body mooted an idea to introduce a round-the-clock water supply in 2012. It subsequently appointed a consultant to study the feasibility of the plan. It also came up with a plan to introduce the scheme in selected areas of the city. But, it did not take off.

The plan was revived during the stint of the then Commissioner of Tiruchi Corporation V.P. Thandapani. He even went ahead with the plan of fixing meter for calculating water charge. The plan was put on cold storage after his transfer. The civic body again revived the plan in 2020 by tapping the financial resources under the Smart City Mission.

The Corporation is on the process of revamping the drinking water infrastructure in the city. It includes rejuvenation of infiltration wells, replacing the damaged water supply mains and construction of a 20 lakh litre capacity overhead tank at Kambarasampettai. But, sources said that the ongoing works were not sufficient to introduce 24/7 water supply.

A senior official of the Corporation told The Hindu that necessary infrastructure still needs to be put in place to ensure round-the-clock water supply. It was important to ensure high pressure in the supply especially in the targeted areas so as to enable the residents to get water anytime. “The civic body will study whether the ongoing drinking water revamping works were sufficient to provide 24/7 water supply in some areas. In addition to it, a proposal was in preparation to implement the 24/7 water supply scheme under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT),” the official added.