Summer, it appears, has arrived early for residents of Kurichi and Kuniamuthur who have been getting water once in 10 days. The Coimbatore Corporation supplied Kurichi and Kuniamuthur with 4.33 million litres a day (MLD) and Kuniamuthur 3.27 MLD respectively from the Aliyar scheme, which the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board managed. The two areas recently came under the city limits.
Their situation was likely get worse in a month or two as the pumping of water under the Aliyar Drinking Water Supply Scheme was likely to turn difficult, sources said.
To augment the water supply the Coimbatore Corporation had started supplying Siruvani water to the two localities.
The Corporation diverted 3.83 MLD Siruvani water to Kurichi and 2.78 MLD to Kuniamuthur. But even that was not enough to meet the residents’ demands.
To further improve the water supply schedule the Coimbatore Corporation had planned to divert Pilloor water to the two areas.
The sources said that the Corporation had planned to divert the water obtained under the Pilloor II scheme from the tank in Town Hall to two tanks – one on Saradha Mill Road and a new one proposed to be constructed in Loganathapuram. The cost of this project was estimated at Rs. 80 lakh.
The Saradha Mill Road tank could store up to six lakh litres and the new tank in Loganathapuram could hold 20 lakh litre.
The sources said that the civic body would lay the pipeline through Vincent Road, Pul Medu (Ukkadam) and then Kuniamuthur. There would a booster station in Ukkadam to pump the water.
After preparing the detailed report for this project, the Corporation had submitted the same to the State Government for approval.
Once the Government cleared the project the Corporation would implement it at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the Corporation was also taking efforts to improve supply of ground water by going in for new bore wells wherever the existing ones had turned dry.
The South Zone Chairman M. Perumalsamy pointed out that the Mayor S.M. Velusamy had given instructions to officials in the January Council meeting that they could dig bore wells wherever necessary and then obtain the Council ratification, given the urgent need for supplying water to residents in summer.
In the South Zone comprising 20 wards, the civic body would need to dig up to 20 bore wells in the immediate future, he added.
