New drinking water scheme for added wards in Tiruchi faces fresh hurdles

New drinking water project in Tiruchi faces hurdles due to pebbles, aiming to supply 135 liters per head.

The work on the new drinking water project for the five added wards of Tiruchi Corporation in Kattur and Tiruverumbur is facing fresh hurdles due to the pebbles found in large numbers on the riverbed of the Cauvery near Melur where the radial arm, a part of the collector well, is being erected. 

The project, which is to be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹63.70 crore, is aimed at supplying 135 litres of drinking water per head to residents of 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 wards in Tiruverumbur, Kattur and adjoining areas. In order to expedite the project, Tiruchi Corporation divided it into three components such as construction of head works, construction of reservoirs (overhead tanks) and laying of mains and distribution lines. 

The civic body chose a spot at the north end of the Cauvery near Melur to construct a pump house for the drinking water project and began work on two phases, except for the head work phase in 2017. Although construction of reservoirs and laying of mains and distribution were completed more than four years ago, the civic body is yet to complete the head works. 

Right from the start of the head work about eight years ago, it has been facing hurdles on various fronts. The work initially got delayed due to opposition of the Melur farmers to draw water from the Cauvery. It ran into further delay in getting the nod of the Public Works Department and then the Water Resources Department. Even after getting all clearances, the civic body could not make any progress on the construction of head work due to flow of water in the Cauvery for many months and opening of Mettur dam for irrigation in May 2022 and June 2023. 

The closure of the Mettur dam in October 2023, well ahead of schedule, paved the way for starting the head work in full scale. While the civic body has almost completed the head work and a pipe carrying bridge across the Cauvery at Kambarampettai, the erection of a radial arm at the collector’s well, is still on. It was expected that it would be completed by now. However, the largescale deposit of pebbles at the site is said to be posing a great challenge to the engineers and skilled workers. They have to make progress only inch by inch as it requires patience. 

“We did not expect pebbles at the collector well site. It requires a team of dedicated and highly skilled work force, who are familiar in radial arm work, to clear the pebbles as it is highly technical. We have no other option but to carry it out in a phased manner. If we show urgency, the system will run into trouble frequently,” says a senior official involved in the work. 

He said there was a dearth of skilled work force specialised in those types of work in the State. Only two to three groups were available and frantic efforts were in place to involve more specialised workers in the job. It might take three more months to complete the erection of the radial arm.