The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation came in for severe criticism from Opposition councillors on Friday over complaints of problems in drinking water supply under the recently commissioned drinking water supply improvement scheme and poor maintenance of streetlights.
Raising the issue at an urgent meeting of the Corporation Council chaired by Mayor A.Jaya here on Friday, Durga Devi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam complained that water supply was erratic in her ward. She was supported vociferously by many of her party colleagues and other Opposition parties.
M.Venkatraj said that water supplied from the new scheme with its source at Coleroon River was discoloured and despite his repeated complaints no action has been taken.
T.Muthuselvam, who has been nominated DMK floor leader consequent to the resignation of M.Anbazhagan, who unsuccessfully contested the recent Lok Sabha election, said though it has been more than six months since the new scheme was commissioned there were problems in distribution in several areas of the city, including Edamalaipattipudur. Replying to the complaints, Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani said water pumped from the three Collector Wells of the new scheme at the Coleroon was found to clean and potable. Over 500 samples have been tested and though the iron content was found to be high, the water supplied from the source has been certified to be potable.
Discolouration could occur due to silt accumulated in distribution lines laid for a total stretch of 385 km from different overhead tanks. The problem could take about three months to the sorted out.
However, there have been not many complaints in this regard and urged the councillors to come up with specific complaints .
A section of the councillors also complained that many streetlights were not functioning in the city after the move to privatise their maintenance. Mr. Thandapani clarified that maintenance of streetlights has been privatised only in 12 wards and the Corporation was maintaining them in other parts of the city.
The privatisation is to be extended gradually to other wards. The privatisation plan included conversion of all tube lights into LED lamps and an investment grade audit has been completed and the report has been sent for third party audit. Later at an ordinary meeting, members of the DMK led by Mr.Muthuselvam staged a walk-out protesting the payments to be made for advertisements issued in some newspapers in connection with the commissioning of the new drinking water scheme and the allocation of Corporation general funds for running the Amma canteens.
