The Tiruchi Corporation Council today approved the move to approach the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board to take up a detailed study and prepare a project report to extend the underground drainage system to the uncovered areas in the city.
The council, at an ordinary meeting held here on Wednesday with S.Sujatha, Mayor, in the chair, approved an official resolution which proposed to request the TWAD Board to prepare the report in consultation with the Corporation engineers.
The move comes in the wake of widespread demands from residents from the newly added colonies in the city, including Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil areas, for extending the underground sewer system. The existing underground system, implemented in two separate projects, has a capacity of about 43,000 connections. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had recently held a high level meeting with officials at Chennai to discuss the project.
A cross-section of the councillors welcomed the move and appealed to the officials to ensure that all parts of the city were covered under the system.
J.Srinivasan, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam floor leader in the council, congratulated Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on her election victory and welcomed the slew of development projects announced by her. Councillors from alliance partners including O.R.Sriraman of the Communist Party of India and A.Joseph Gerald of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam also welcomed the development projects announced by the Chief Minister and the move to extend the underground drainage in the city.
Water supply
Earlier speaking at an urgent meeting, a section of the councillors complained of inadequate supply of drinking water to their wards. Raising the issue, Mr.Sriraman said many parts of his ward were not getting sufficient supply owing to inadequate pressure in the distribution mains. Corporation Executive Engineer R.Chandran said the problem has been witnessed in some areas of the city owing to a faulty valve near the Maris overbridge. Efforts were on to rectify the problem. Commissioner T.T.Balsamy intervened to say that all efforts were being made to ensure equitable supply of water to all parts of the city.
Some of the councillors also complained that development works, which were halted prior to the election citing the model code of conduct, were yet to resume. Contractors were blaming the rise in sand price for the delay in the resuming the works, said T.M.Renga of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who wanted the development work on the Kathiri Vaical to be resumed immediately. Mr.Balsamy said all works suspended prior to the election would be executed without delay.
In response to suggestions and complaints from some councillors with respect to the introduction of the bio-metric attendance registration system for sanitary workers, Mr.Balsamy said efforts would be made to install one biometric attendance recorder in each ward. Currently, two to three wards have been given one machine which councillors said affected sanitation work as the sanitary workers have to record their attendance four times a day, travelling two to three km every time.
