The district administration has drawn an extensive plan on an outlay of Rs.68.08 crore for supplying drinking water from the Tamiraparani to over 100 habitats around Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site as there is no reliable drinking water source in the coastal area. The proposal will replace a plan to set up two desalination plants.
Under the KKNPP Neighbourhood Development Programme, designed by the State Government on an outlay of Rs.500 crore, it was initially decided to set up two mega desalination plants at Uvari and Panjal to supply drinking water to all coastal hamlets in Radhapuram taluk. However, the annual maintenance cost of Rs.9 crore for operating the desalination plants became a deterrent to the execution of the project.
As an alternative, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board was asked to draft a new scheme, under which the Tamiraparani will be used as the source.
As per the new plan, infiltration wells will be sunk at Vallanaadu and Muththaalankurichi on the banks of the Tamiraparani in Tuticorin district from where the water will be taken through 120-km-long pipes to 62 villages under Koodankulam, Kooththenkuzhi, Thiruvambalapuram, Vijayapathi, Irukkanthurai, Chettikulam, Levingipuram, Parameshwarapuram, Uthayaththur, Navvaladi, Uvari, Karaisuttru Uvari and Kuttam village panchayats in Radhapuram union.
The Tamiraparani water will also be taken to another 38 villages in Valliyoor panchayat union to take the total number of beneficiary villages to 100, where over 85,000 people live.
“The quantity of water being supplied now is insufficient. Hence, the new scheme has been designed. Once the new scheme is completed in a year, every person in these areas will get 30 litres of drinking water a day,” said Collector C.Samayamoorthy.
