TAMBARAM: The Citizens Forum of Pallavaram has appealed to Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin to draw up comprehensive water supply scheme for Pallavaram Municipality, keeping in mind the long-term needs of the area.

Water supplied to residents here was far below requirements and stipulated norms, said Forum president D.S. Sivasamy.

Tracing the history of the water supply scheme in the southern suburbs, he recalled that the foundation stone for an integrated scheme to supply water to Pallavaram, Alandur, Pammal, Anakaputhur, St. Thomas Mount cum Pallavaram Cantonment Board and Chitlapakkam by the Tamil Nadu Water supply and Drainage Board was laid in April 1972 by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Under the scheme, the TWAD Board was to supply 225 lakh litres of water a day from the Palar river, including 67.5 lakh litres (and later revised to 54 lakh litres) to Pallavaram Municipality. But it failed to supply the 54 lakh litres a day, said Mr. Sivasamy. The Pallavaram Municipality received only 27 lakh litres of water a day.

As per the 2001 census, the population of this local body was 1.5 lakh. Based on the norms that entitled residents in Municipalities to 90 litres water per head, Pallavaram ought to receive 135 lakh litres every day. To bridge the huge gap between demand and supply, the State government decided in 1999 to supply an additional 40 lakh litres to Pallavaram. The local body borrowed Rs. 2.74 crore from the Tamil Nadu Urban Financial Infrastructure Development Corporation for this purpose. Though sumps and overhead water tanks were constructed in 2002 using these funds, they have remained unused.

Following intense pressure from residents, the government initiated the Third Tambaram - Pallavaram Combined Water Supply scheme and Pallavaram paid Rs. 1.54 crore to the TWAD Board in 2003, Mr. Sivasamy said. He added that despite the payment, the local body did not get additional supply of water.

Pointing out that the underground drainage network project was currently on, he said residents would have to be supplied 110 litres of water per head if the scheme had to function well.

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