COIMBATORE: Suez India has completed 35% of the 24x7 water project in the 60 wards of Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). Sources said lack of manpower and pandemic-induced lockdowns have slowed the work, forcing the extension of the deadline by at least two years.
The project was finalised in 2018 between CCMC and Suez India Projects Private Limited at the cost of Rs 646.71 crore and work commenced in 2019. The initial deadline was August 2023. With the project making slow progress, the deadline has been revised to January 2025. Considering the slow pace of work, the corporation is pushing Suez to expedite works by increasing the workforce as councillors have been flagging the slow pace of work during the weekly council meetings.
Sources said for the 99 District Metered Areas (DMA) planned for the project, the civic body will be constructing a total of 32 Over Head Tanks (OHT) in addition to the existing 36 OHTs. Of the 32, works are in progress to construct 23 OHTs and works are yet to begin for the remaining tanks.
Of the 99 District Metered Areas (DMA), the Suez firm should have completed 21 DMAs by the end of 2022. But so far only 13 DMAs have been completed which includes eight intermittent DMAs. Water is being supplied to the remaining 5 DMAs with the help of the existing 36 OHTs, added the sources.
CCMC deputy commissioner Dr M Sharmila said currently, the civic body has completed around 35% of works, adding that out of the 1,744 km of pipeline installation, they have completed around 42% of works and finished providing 25% of the House Supply Connections (HSCs). “The project involves providing drinking water connections to 1.5 lakh houses across the 60 wards.
As of now, we have completed providing 28,147 HSCs. Of them, only about 5,000 HSCs are now getting round-the-clock water supply. The main water source of the project will come from the Pillur 3 project, once it gets completed by April-May 2023. We shall expedite the works by asking Suez to deploy more personnel soon,” she added.