The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Jayalalithaa dedicates water project to Tirupur residents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Jayalalithaa dedicates water project to Tirupur residents

Special Correspondent

It will meet drinking water needs of eight lakh people in the town, nearby villages

MEGA PROJECT: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa gets a briefing on the comprehensive drinking water and drainage project for Tirupur, in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Ganesan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday dedicated the Rs.1,023 crore comprehensive drinking water supply and sewerage project to the residents of Tirupur and nearby villages.

The scheme will meet the drinking water requirements of eight lakh people in 629 rural and urban habitations and Tirupur, Nallur and Velampalayam municipalities, besides improving hygiene and environment in and around Tirupur.

Among others Minister for Information and Rural Development K.P. Anbalagan; U.S. Consul-General in Chennai David T. Hopper; Secretary, Rural Development and Water Supply, Sheila Priya; and Managing Director, New Tirupur Area Development Corporation, Sameer Vyas were present at the Secretariat, where the Chief Minister dedicated the project.

Infrastructure

Ms. Jayalalithaa, during her earlier tenure as Chief Minister, set up an organisation on February 25, 1995 to create necessary infrastructure to meet Tirupur's increasing demand for drinking water, besides enhancing the sewerage facilities. Though the project was not keenly pursued later, the Chief Minister took steps to effectively implement it after she assumed office in 2001, said an official release.

Ms. Jayalalithaa laid a foundation at a function held at Andipalayam in Coimbatore district on June 20, 2002 to restructure the project to ensure drinking water supply to dyeing factories and bleaching units in Tirupur and adjacent areas. The move was also aimed at providing drinking water to habitations under village panchayats, town panchayats and panchayat unions in and around Tirupur. She also wanted speedy restoration of the sewerage system in Tirupur town.

The Tirupur Area Development Scheme was a "first of its kind" jointly implemented by the Government and the private sector. The implementation agency — New Tirupur Area Development Corporation — was set up by the Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company (TWICL) and the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL and FS).

As per the memorandum of understanding signed by the State Government and the New Tirupur Area Development Corporation, the outfit would operate and maintain the project for 30 years.

Arrangements had been made to ensure repayment of funds invested in the project to the domestic and foreign funding agencies in 30 years. Among the major investors were the Tamil Nadu Drinking Water Investment Corporation, AIDEC Fund, Life Insurance Corporation, General Insurance Corporation and Tirupur Exporters Association. Apart from the financial assistance extended by the Industrial Development Bank of India and State Bank of India, the United States Agency for International Development had funded the project to the tune of $25 million, the release said.

The completed project would enable the knitwear units in Tirupur to increase their production and help the nation earn more foreign exchange by competing with other countries in the international market, the release said.

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