COIMBATORE: The Vilamarathur Water Supply Project, designed to provide safe drinking water from the upper reaches of Bhavani River to residents of Mettupalayam Municipality, is reportedly on hold due to delays in establishing an electricity connection.
People are hopeful that once the project is operational, they will have access to unpolluted water. However, local sources said that the municipality has not yet secured the necessary electricity connection to run the pumping station.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) have stated that the local municipality must first obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the district administration in order to proceed with the project, after which the electricity connection will be provided.
The Tamil Nadu government announced the Vilamarathur Drinking Water Scheme, at an estimated cost of Rs 22.20 crore, in 2021. However, construction commenced only in March 2024 and most of the work is nearly completed.
"Approximately 90% of the work has been finished, including the construction of a well in Bhavani River, an overhead storage tank and the laying of pipelines. Presently, the municipality provides 13 million litres per day (MLD) of water to its residents. All work is expected to be fully completed by the end of May 2026, after which trial runs will be conducted before the scheme is officially launched for public use. This scheme is expected to improve water supply and address long-standing water quality issues," said a senior municipality official.
The TNPDCL has clarified that the scheme's pumping station is located within Nellithurai village panchayat, on government land. The execution of the scheme requires a Low Tension Current Transformer (LTCT) connection for 150 kW, and the local body must apply for this online. Once the NOC is obtained and the application process is completed, TNPDCL will provide the electricity connection.
A senior official said the municipality has obtained the enter upon permission to the land from the government and applied for the electricity connection. But it was rejected, seeking the Issuance of Inevitability certificate for the land, which is to be given by the district revenue officer (DRO) after a field inspection. Meanwhile, municipality officials have alleged that the EB department is making the issue which can be settled within the departments, a difficult one.
However, Mettupalayam Municipality Commissioner R Amudha refuted claims of delays, saying that there are no issues preventing the operation of the water scheme, which is expected to launch by the end of the month.
"This scheme aims to provide safe drinking water to 14,000 connections within the municipality. We have only changed the source of the water, not the distribution channels. We have applied for the electricity connection, and once it is granted, we will launch the water scheme," she said.