Vellore Integrated Drinking Water Scheme, the Rs 1,295 crore water supply project, is all set to start. The ambitious water supply scheme will be serving the Vellore corporation, 11 municipalities, five town panchayats and 944 rural habitations in the district.
The project is aimed at finding a permanent solution for the water scarce region that depends on Cauvery water.
“Going by the construction speed, we will able to finish the project well ahead of the August 2014 deadline,” Ajay Yadav, District Collector, said on Wednesday. The Collector also held a review meeting with the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, Revenue Department and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The Collector said that the construction of a cofferdam at the downstream of Chekkanur Barrage has been completed.
The cofferdam was constructed to reduce seepage of water into the construction site.
“If we had failed to complete the cofferdam before monsoon, it would have delayed other construction works,” he said.
The district administration has also taken measures to obtain NHAI’s nod to lay gravity pipeline along the NH - 46 from Vaniyambadi to Ocheri in Vellore district.
“We are planning to take the gravity pipeline along the Palar River for 10.6 km stretch from Vinnamanglam to Pachakuppam, avoiding Ambur town and 8.5 km from Muthumandapam to Perumughai, avoiding Vellore town,” said the Collector. The Collector added that he had also spoken to his counterparts in Salem and Dharmapuri districts regarding land acquisition for the project.
The L&T, which was awarded the project, has got the nod from IIT - Madras and TWAD Board to lay the pipeline for 80.7 kilometres of package I of the project from Thottiapatti, near the Mettur Thermal Power plant to Kadathur Ridge point.
“The L&T should get design-proof check for each component of the project from IIT - Madras and TWAD Board,” said a TWAD board official. “After they get a nod for laying the pipeline, the contractors will submitted the design for the raw water well‑pump house.”
The water would be pumped from River Cauvery at Chekkanur barrage, in Thottilpatti. The water would be pumped till Kadathur Ridge point by three booster pumping stations.
“From Kadathur Ridge, the water would be supplied through gravity pipelines laid along the NH,” said the Collector. “The 30-months project would be completed within 26 to 28 months.
“Five sumps out of 144 in package III, from Vaniyambadi to Arakkonam and two out of 29 in package II, from Kadathur to Vaniyambadi, have been completed,” TWAD officials said.