Residents of Nanankudal at Kottodi in the Kallar grama panchayat can finally heave a sigh of relief as the authorities have drawn up plans to provide drinking water to all the 42 households, 60% of them belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes communities.
The proposal took shape in the governing body meeting of the United Democratic Front (UDF)-controlled panchayat and the matter was followed up with the district administration to come out with a ₹13-lakh scheme. A 30,000-litre tank was set up to store water drawn from a pond dug close to a tributary of the Chandragiri river.
Seeking assistance under the Area for Rural Water Supply Scheme (ARWS) under the district planning commission, the panchayat has installed a pipeline network connecting all households and is awaiting formal dedication of the scheme.
“We are in the process of finalising the schedule with District Collector K. Jeevanbabu to formally inaugurate the scheme in a couple of days,” grama panchayat vice-president T.K. Narayanan told The Hindu here on Tuesday.
PWD road
In yet another development, the authorities are busy laying a nine-metre Public Works Department (PWD) road with assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in the uneven, slippery landscape, which hitherto could be accessed only using four-wheel axle vehicles, especially during monsoon, he said.
The work would be completed by next year. Bus services through this road will provide an alternative route to the nearby Kuttikole and will make reaching the district headquarters easier.
