The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Infrastructure Leasing to help in Pondy drainage conversion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Infrastructure Leasing to help in Pondy drainage conversion

By Rajesh Nair

PONDICHERRY, MARCH 12. Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FSL) has agreed in principle to assist the Pondicherry Government in its project to convert open drainage into an underground system.

A team from IL&FSL, a joint venture of financial institutions to promote infrastructure development, will soon come here for discussions with officials, a government source told The Hindu .

"It has in principle agreed to finance the Rs. 180-crore project. The money will be given as a loan to be repaid in 20 years. The interest is 3-4 per cent."

Health hazard

The project was put on hold for long for lack of funds. At present all areas, except in the Pondicherry and Muthialpet zones, have open drainage systems, a major source of mosquito breeding.

The French planned the open drainage system. As the population increased, it became inadequate and in most places sewage water spilled on the road, posing a health hazard, said an official of the Public Works Department."The project is part of the administration's effort to make the territory clean, which is vital to promote Pondicherry as a tourism destination", he said.

Plans for Karaikal too

The administration also plans to convert the open drainage systems in Karaikal.

A society at Auroville is interested in collecting treated sewage water for irrigation of agricultural land. At present, treated sewage is let out into the sea.

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