Tiruchi Corporation plans to supply drinking water to residents in city limits round-the-clock, Mayor M. Anbazhagan said on Wednesday.
Presiding over an emergency meeting of the Corporation Council, he said that the civic body supplied about 125 MLD of drinking water to its residents daily from various sources in the riverbeds of the Cauvery and the Kollidam. There had been no shortage of drinking water in the city ever since the implementation of the drinking water scheme from the Kollidam, which had a capacity to supply 71 MLD of water, was undertaken. The Corporation had embarked upon a few more steps to augment water supply resources. Upon completion of the water augmentation work, the Corporation would be in a position to supply 24/7 drinking water to the residents.
Mr. Anbazhagan said that Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru had instructed the Corporation officials to explore the possibilities of implementing a new drinking water scheme by tapping the sources in the Cauvery riverbed. The idea was to build 100 MLD capacity scheme so as to meet the future requirements. The Minister had taken steps to build a check dam across the Cauvery so as to ensure sound ground water availability for the new water scheme.
K. Suresh Kumar of the CPI, representing ward 23, took objection to the diversion of ₹20 crore , which was originally allotted to road works in the city, to the land development work at Panchapur, where an integrated bus terminus had been planned.
He said that the people of the city particularly Woraiyur were fed up with the unmotorable condition of main roads, street roads and interior roads. Several months had passed since they were dug up for the underground drainage work. Diversion of fund allotted to road laying works was unacceptable. It would further delay the road relaying work, he said.
Replying, P.M.N. Mujibur Rahuman, Corporation Commissioner, said that it might take a few more months for completing the underground works in some areas of the city. Roads could be relaid only after completing all works. Hence, the fund had been diverted to land development work at Panchapur. It would be taken up in four phases. While Rs.6.49 crore would be spent for developing the land at the bus terminus, a sum of ₹6.27 crore would be spent for developing the surface at the proposed truck terminal.
When AMMK member P. Senthilnathan raised queries on whether soil test had been carried out on the proposed site of the new bus terminus, where treated sewage of the Phase-I of the underground drainage scheme, was being let on for several years, Mr. Rahuman said that soil test had already been conducted. A green signal had been accorded to the new bus terminus project.
