The Tiruchi Corporation has initiated a slew of measures to tide over drought conditions and manage drinking water supply in the city without any disruption.
Rejuvenation of infiltration wells at the Golden Rock Drinking Water Supply Scheme and erection of new borewells around the collector wells on the Cauvery, flushing of borewells at various pumping stations that supply water, erection of new hand-pumps or power pumps and repair of existing ones that are in disuse in different parts of the city and stepping up water supply through tankers wherever necessary are among the initiatives planned by the Corporation.
While some works are under way, tenders have been called for a few others, officials said. The works are to be executed at a total cost of about ₹3.13 crore. While ₹2.54 crore has been allotted under the State Disaster Response Fund, the rest would be met from its general fund. All works are expected to be completed by this month end.
Conceding that there has been a dip in yield from the collector wells of water supply schemes on the Cauvery, sources maintained that the situation was manageable.
Against the normal supply about 139 million litres a day (MLD), the city is getting about 124 MLD. Except for three of the five wards that were added to the city a few years ago, daily water supply is being maintained in all the other wards.
Among the major works taken up were the erection of five new borewells with power pumps at the head water works at Ayyalamman Padithurai on the Cauvery at a cost of ₹50 lakhs. Another ₹50 lakhs is being spent for rejuvenating eight other borewells at the site.
Four of the radial arms which collect water from the river bed at the collector wells on the Coleroon are being cleaned to improve yield at a cost of ₹ 47.10 lakhs. Borewells at other pumping stations would be flushed and cleaned at a cost of ₹ 30 lakhs. In addition, 20 new borewells with hand pumps and 12 new borewells with power pumps would be sunk in different parts of the city at a cost of ₹34 lakhs. Temporary plastic tanks are to be placed at 40 locations and would be filled with water through tankers. The civic body would spend over ₹50 lakhs for supplying water through tanker lorries in the coming months.
There were about 1,623 borewells with hand pumps and 329 with power pumps across the city. About five to 10 per cent of them were in disuse and they were being repaired so as to make them functional.
Special Officer-cum-Corporation Commissioner N.Ravichandran told “The Hindu” that the works would help the civic body tide over the summer without much problem. All 52 borewells of the drinking supply schemes were being flushed and cleaned to prevent drop in yield. He said stern action was being taken against persons found indulging in illegal tapping of water from supply lines. Apart from seizing motors used for such activity, drinking water connections would be disconnected, he said.
