The Hindu : Front Page : Tenders floated for drinking water supply scheme

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Sunday, Apr 20, 2008
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Tenders floated for drinking water supply scheme

S. Ganesan

— Photo: M. Moorthy

Thirst quencher: A view of the headwork of Pirattiyur Combined Drinking Water Supply Scheme at Jeeyapuram in Tiruchi.

TIRUCHI: Tenders have been called for the much-awaited Rs.144.86-crore drinking water supply augmentation scheme for the city. The Corporation hopes to complete the project within 18 to 24 months.

The project, financed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), would increase the per capita drinking water supply to 135 litres a day and ensure equitable distribution to all parts of the city. Though the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi laid the foundation stone for the project in September last year, the financial tie-up and other formalities were completed only recently.

The new scheme will tap about 48.2 million litres a day (MLD) from three infiltration wells on the Coleroon River immediately on completion and about 90 MLD in the ultimate stage by 2039, when the city’s total drinking water requirement is projected at around 180 MLD. Currently, about 86 MLD is tapped from the Cauvery River.

About 35 additional overhead tanks (OHTs) would come up in various parts of the city under the new scheme, in addition to the existing 54.

Additional distribution mains have been proposed for a total stretch of about 232 km.

Sources indicated that the length of the distribution mains could increase as the civic body wanted to ensure that all parts of the city were covered without omitting any newly added area and curtail supply through tankers.

The existing head works of the Pirattiyur Combined Drinking Water Supply Scheme at Jeeyapuram on the Cauvery river bed would be modified to de-link the rural habitations. About 400 km of existing distribution mains would also be revamped.

The project has been split into eight major packages such as laying of distribution mains, improvements to existing line and construction of overhead tanks so that the different components were executed simultaneously without any delay.

Sources said that the tenders would be finalised by the second week of June after evaluation of the bids and approval by JBIC and the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited Corporation.

The work was expected to commence soon after. The Corporation is keen on completing the project at the earliest to overcome the water scarcity in certain parts of the city, especially during summer months.

The project implementation would be supervised by a Project Monitoring Group, comprising expert agencies. Corporation sources indicated that the project cost is likely to go up slightly, by 10 to 15 per cent, under revised rates.

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