Work on 24/7 drinking water project is expected to begin soon in Tiruchi

Tiruchi Corporation to begin pilot 24/7 drinking water supply scheme in six wards, aiming to expand citywide.

Ending a wait that lasted for over a decade, work on implementing the 24/7 drinking water supply scheme on a pilot basis in six wards in the city is expected to begin shortly.

Tiruchi Corporation was sanctioned ₹34 crore to implement a 24/7 drinking water supply scheme for all the households under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme. The civic body has decided to implement the project on a pilot basis in wards 51 to 56 in Zone IV and V.

Residential and commercial properties in Cantonment, Railway Junction, Periyamilagupaarai, Ponnagar, Karumandapam, Jaya Nagar, and other areas falling under these wards would get round the clock drinking water.

Officials said a tender was floated a few months back and the bids were under scrutiny. “The work order would be issued soon, and the project is expected to commence within this month,” said Corporation Commissioner V. Saravanan. The duration of executing the project is 18 months.

The project, which was initially announced in 2012, was revived in 2023, and a sum of ₹6 crore was allocated in the budget. However, the project faced delays, and the civic body sought additional funds to implement the scheme.

The pilot scheme would cover a minimum of 10,000 water connections in the city. District metering area works involving the classification of water distribution zones within the pilot areas have been completed. Smart meters are to be affixed to measure the water consumption in every connection.

After conducting a pilot study, the civic body would expand the round the clock water supply to all 65 wards in the city. The civic body would appoint a project management consultant to monitor and supervise the execution of 24/7 drinking water supply projects in the city.