Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday announced two desalination plants, one each for Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin, in view of the uncertain ground water situation in these districts, and five combined drinking water schemes at a cost of Rs 797.69 crore.
In her suo motu statement, she said the desalination plants capable of producing 100 million litres per day (MLD) of water would be a permanent answer to the drinking water crisis.
She also recalled the 3.80 MLD desalination plant set up in Naripaiyur in Ramanathapuram district during her previous regime.
The Chief Minister said the objective of combined drinking water schemes was to ensure 55 litres of water per person per day in rural areas. In pursuance of the objective, a Rs 450 crore combined drinking water scheme, drawing on Cauvery water, will be implemented in Dindigul district.
This will benefit over five lakh people in Attur, Nilakottai, Vathalakundu, Chananpatti, Natham, Ottanchathiram, Thoppampatti, Vadamadurai, Vedachandur, Kujiliamparai, Dindigul, Reddiyar Chathiram and Pazhani panchayat unions.
Another combined drinking water project, drawing water from Kollidam will be for Thanjavur district.
This Rs 125 crore project also will cater the need of over 5.75 lakh people in Peravurani, Perumagalur and Athirampattinam town pachayats and Pattukottai, Sethupavachathiram, Peravurani, Mathukoor, Papanasam, Tiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur, Orathanadu and Tiruvonam panchayat unions.
For Coimbatore district, a combined drinking water project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 114.25 crore. The water for the project will come from Bhavani river and it will benefit 1.55 lakh people in Tondamuthur, Pooluvapatti, Thenkarai, Vedapatti, Thaliyur, Alanthurai and Perur town panchayats and Tondamuthur panchayat union.
The government will implement a combined drinking water scheme for Tirupur and Erode districts at cost of Rs 76.44 crore.
Similarly, in Tiruchi district, a combined drinking water project will cater the need of 1.27 lakh people. The cost of the project is Rs 32 crore and it will draw water from Cauvery river.
The Chief Minister said water schemes would be implemented in Tirunelveli Corporation and Arani, Tiruvathipuram and Periakulam municipalities at a cost of Rs 227.26 crore.
The fund would come from Germany Development Bank and Urban Infrastructure Development for Small and Medium Towns.
She also announced Rs 27-crore scheme for producing electricity from solid waste in 24 municipalities.
