The preparation for ‘Mahamaham,’ slated for February next, has gathered momentum with the projection being that 36 lakh pilgrims would arrive in the town for the event held once in 12 years.
The Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, through the Kumbakonam Municipality, is stretching itself in sewing up all the loose ends in time for the mega event on February 22.
The Kumbakonam Municipality is planning to augment water supply by creating three new infiltration wells, providing temporary HDPE water tanks, and installing two 180 HP turbines at a an estimated cost of Rs. 2.44 crore, including provisioning for non-infrastructure work such as engaging tankers and trucks for water supply on rental basis during the festival period.
The civic body has planned to upgrade the street lights at a cost of Rs. 5.40 crore under which over 500 LED units have been received. Of them, more than 200 have been installed while work on installing the remaining LED units is in full swing. Mini high-mast lamps, with a height of 10 metres, have so far been erected at 12 spots while work is on in another eight spots. High-mast lamps, towering over 20 metres, will be installed at two places ahead of the festival and all the lighting work is expected to be completed by November end.
A sum of Rs. 11.17 crore has been set apart for solid waste management, including renovation of the Thepperumanallur compost yard through the bio mining concept. Installation of mechanised compost yard, civil and related works on resource recovery centre, laying of inter-connectivity road within the yard, supplying garbage compactors, tippers, and so on were proceeding fast while procurement of tricycles, bins, and compactors have been completed.
In the bio mining work, 18,000 cubic metres of the 1,31,250 cubic metres of assessed garbage has been processed and cleared.
Save for the bio-mining work, all other solid waste management related work had been scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Of course, the bio mining work would last till next March.
The City Union Bank has volunteered to undertake the management and improvement of the 110 existing public conveniences of which around 100 have been completed while work on the others are under various stages of completion.
The town roads are getting extensive facelift ahead of the festival with Rs. 1.58 crore sanctioned for improving temple car routes, another Rs. 1.88 crore for providing interlock blocking arrangements for sanitary lanes while restoration of 121 stretches of bitumen topped surface and cement concrete roads have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 10.76 crore.
The municipality is carrying out restoration work, including removing silt, providing rainwater harvesting and walkways around six tanks within the civic body boundaries at a cost of Rs. 3.60 crore in view of the Mahamaham. The tanks getting a new lease of life, include Pachaiyappan tank. Sei Kulam, Ayee Kulam, Bairagi Kulam, Pidari Kulam, and Banadurai Kulam.
While 168 places have been identified for installing HDPE water tanks, the City Union Bank is sponsoring 16 lakh water bottles on the D-day for the benefit of visiting devotees. Temporary toilets will be installed in 147 spots again courtesy the City Union Bank while the Kumbakonam Municipality will provide water supply and underground drainage system connectivity to them.
