TIRUCHY: The projects announced on Tuesday by the city Corporation under the Smart City plan has raised eyebrows as no mention is made about water conservation. A sum of Rs 85 crore has been sanctioned towards setting up fountains, parks and building commercial complexes.
Activists are aghast that the civic body has not come up with any plan to recharge or replenish ground water, given that some localities on the periphery of the city are facing issues in water supply.
The city requires about 130 million litres of drinking water daily. The corporation sources this from borewells on the Kollidam and Cauvery river bed. Adding to this, the corporation plans to set up water dispensing kiosks across the city which means ground water would be exploited further.
Activists lash out at the civic body for preaching to residents about water conservation but doing nothing towards this end. “The corporation seems to be operating like a private supplier – exploiting and not recharging groundwater.
It must establish groundwater recharging facilities in its offices and upcoming project sites. When the civic body itself is not taking such steps, seminars and exhibitions on rainwater harvesting will not make sense to residents. It has to come up with a major project to ensure recharge of at least 60 per cent of water. That is, if a corporation facility is taking one lakh litres if water a day, the civic body has to establish recharging facilities in and around that facility to route at least 60 per cent of water back to ground,” said KC Neelamegham, an environmentalist.
The idea to set up fountains at 15 locations in the city has irked activists most. “Though the fountains proposed will recycle water, these would not be appropriate given the crisis the State is facing. The civic body must think about water conservation than beautification projects.
What is the rationale in insisting residents to set up rainwater harvesting systems when a majority of corporation buildings does not have the facility,” said S Pushpavanam, secretary, Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Council. Corporation Commissioner N Ravichandran said plans for rainwater harvesting would be unveiled. “We will establish rainwater harvesting facilities in all our offices. Also we will take measures to conserve water,” he said.