Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju said that through concerted efforts, the ₹1,290-crore drinking water scheme to draw water from Mullai Periyar dam for Madurai was made possible.
Speaking at a function organised by the Madurai Corporation to perform bhoomi puja for replacing old pipelines for a stretch of one km in Bethaniapuram here on Sunday, Mr. Raju said that through the new Mullai Periyar project, 125 million litres of water could be drawn every day to meet drinking water needs of city residents. The project, to be implemented in two years, would meet the needs of the city for the next 60 years, he said.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had announced the new project - of laying pipeline for 156 km to benefit the 17 lakh people of the city - during the birth centenary celebration of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran held in Madurai recently.
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Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar said that the Bethaniapuram work would benefit residents of 24 streets. It would be implemented on an outlay of ₹ 27.5 lakh. “We received several complaints about old pipelines in the area. Moreover, it was found that new areas could not be covered by extending the worn-out pipelines, the reason why we planned to replace them,” said Mr. Sekhar. City Engineer A. Mathuram said that the new pipelines would benefit about 1,500 households.