COIMBATORE: Residents across Siruvani river-fed areas in the city faced a sharp dip in drinking water supply on Tuesday, as the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) carried out crucial pipeline works under the Siruvani water supply scheme. The water supply from Siruvani Dam, managed by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, was temporarily cut down by half - from 100 million litres per day (MLD) on Monday to 50 MLD on Tuesday.
According to senior officials in CCMC's water supply wing, the shortfall was necessitated due to pipeline interlinking works currently under way at Gandhipark. The civic body is connecting the Siruvani pipeline running through Bharathi Park road with the Pillur 3 water supply scheme to ensure swifter and more efficient water diversion during emergencies, especially in peak summer.
"During the drier season, water levels in the Siruvani Dam often fall short of full capacity. Moreover, water is sometimes released prematurely by Kerala authorities, before the dam reaches full storage. At such times, we draw additional water from the Pillur schemes to support affected areas," said a senior official.
To streamline this transfer, a diverter valve along with an interlinking pipeline is being installed between the two supply lines to aid the city to better manage erratic summer supply issues.
Officials confirmed that most of the work is complete, with only the final concrete packing of pipelines and joints remaining. "We expect to finish this by Wednesday and resume full 100 MLD water supply by Thursday," the official added. Meanwhile, residents are advised to conserve water wherever possible.