THOOTHUKUDI: The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned a new Combined Water Supply Scheme (CWSS) to provide 92,407 household tap connections for 363 rural habitations in 136 village panchayats belonging to six blocks in the district under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJL). The new scheme will benefit at least 3.05 people in Thoothukudi, Ottapidaram, Kayathar, Kovilpatti, Pudur and Vilathikulam blocks, where the groundwater potential is inadequate.
According to official sources, the new water project aims to deliver 55 litres per person (per capita) per day (LPCD) as against the current 30 LPCD. The project will be operated from the Thamirabarani river sources of the existing six CWSS. It is designed to draw 16.57 MLD of raw water from the surface source from an intake well cum pump house slated to be constructed at Agaram village and will be treated at the water treatment plant in Sethuramalingapuram.
The scheme will provide 92,407 Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in addition to the existing 16,846 FHTCs in the district, the official said. It may be noted that the 363 rural habitations are served 30 litres per person (per capita) per day (LPCD) at present with 6.69 MLD from six CWSS at the banks of river Thamirabarani and 2.97 MLD from local sources.
The official sources added the project was initially proposed to tap water from the desalination plant Kuthiraimozhi in Ramanathapuram district. However, the plan was dropped following a G.O. on September 27, considering the higher cost for operation and maintenance incurred by the desalination plant, and the state directed to go for a combined water supply scheme with river Thamirabarani as the source said the official.