Coimbatore: 24x7 water project in RS Puram inches towards completion
COIMBATORE: The controversial 24x7 drinking water supply project in Coimbatore is inching towards completion. Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has so far completed 300 out of 400 inter-connection works for the much-anticipated project in the RS Puram area. With only 100 interconnection works left, the Suez Projects Private Limited, the French contractor roped in to implement the project, is now deciding on the type of water meters it should install in the houses.
However, the pilot project was scheduled to be completed by October last year. Several factors contributed to the delay of the works, including rainfall, road works, and the outbreak of the pandemic in March.
Official sources said that about 99 per cent of the main pipeline laying works were completed, and the remaining works shall be finished in a few days.
"The water supply lines from the old pipelines are being disconnected and attached to the new pipelines. The areas where the interconnections are complete are still receiving intermittent drinking water supply only. The round-the-clock water supply project shall be inaugurated only after the completion of the project," the sources said.
Once the project is over, the sources said, consumers would be charged as per the water tariff, determined by water meters installed by the civic body at individual houses, apartments, and commercial establishments.
"In the case of small houses, residents need to pay `100 for consuming up to 15,000 litres of water," the sources added. According to the project map, the corporation has to cover 70 km with drinking water pipelines in RS Puram. Chinthamani, north of Ramalingam Road, south of Forest College, east of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and west of railway track would be incorporated in the radius.
The project has met with opposition from some quarters, including from the DMK, which has charged that the 'privatisation' of water supply would be to the detriment of the people.