A new proposal to augment water supply to Government Rajaji Hospital through a dedicated pipeline from the Vaigai river near Sholavandan was under consideration, authorities at GRH said.
A senior official, speaking on anonymity, said that the details of the proposal was being worked on by Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and Public Works Department, following which it will be forwarded to the government for the final approval and sanction of funds.
The official said that the proposal, which is expected to provide 10 lakh litres of water to the hospital per day, was likely to have an estimated cost of about Rs.25 crore.
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The hospital, in its recent response to Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on a public interest litigation, has mentioned that a request had been placed to get eight lakh litres of water per day from the Melur Comprehensive Water Supply Scheme.
However, according to hospital authorities, this proposal was considered infeasible by TWAD and PWD authorities due to various complexities and the high cost involved. “They felt that it is easier to bring a pipeline along the sides of the Vaigai river,” an official said.
GRH authorities said that the hospital presently needed around 10 lakh litres of water per day, which is expected to go up significantly once the upcoming Reproductive and Child Health block and the Super Speciality block become operational.
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The hospital is now primarily relying on water supplied by Madurai Corporation apart from water being fetched from 15 bore wells dug on the GRH main campus and the Trauma Care Centre near Anna Bus Stand.
A dedicated pipeline from a well in the Vaigai river bed near Viraganoor stopped functioning many years ago.