Chennai Metrowater is all set to issue the work order for the Tiruvottiyur piped water supply project before the end of this month. This project is a long-pending demand of the residents.
Officials of the Metrowater said the project worth Rs.85.11 crore was sanctioned under the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in 2008.
One of the reasons for the delay in awarding the contract was the poor response when bids were invited for the first time. When the tender was floated for the second time, seven bids were received and they were being scrutinised. The project is expected to take two years, an official said.
Tiruvottiyur municipal chairman R. Jayaraman said the local body, which has a population of 2.5 lakh, is expected to be supplied up to 35 million litres a day (mld) once the project is commissioned. About 50,000 house connections would be provided.
At present, the local body is able to supply only 2.5 million litres, that too, once in five days partly through street taps. It also operates 15 tankers for water supply.
The municipality would obtain loans from Tamilnadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited and Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation to meet its share of the project cost, Mr.Jayaraman said.
Water metering system may also be implemented in the area. The project would alleviate the water shortage problem in the local body, he added. Work is under way to provide underground drainage network in Tiruvottiyur. Nearly 60 per cent of the pipeline laying work has been completed.
Officials said the municipality had alloted five acres for a 27-mld capacity sewage treatment plant at Sathangadu.
Sewage from five pumping stations to be established in Tiruvottiyur would be pumped to the STP.
Though the project was sanctioned in 2004, the work began only in May 2007. Some of the reasons cited for the delay include technical snags and labour shortage.
Tiruvottiyur would get its underground drainage network in June 2012, the municipal officials said.
