PUDUCHERRY: In an initiative to enhance the water supply infrastructure in Puducherry, Public Works Department Minister K Lakshminarayanan on Tuesday has announced a 24x7 'Drink from Tap' pilot project in the Boulevard area, with an estimated budget of Rs 12 crore, under Amrut 2.0.
The water for this project will be sourced from Muthirapalayam Water Works, he said. The project is set to begin this year, in collaboration with Odisha's Water Corporation (WATCO), which has already implemented 23 similar projects. Plans are in place to expand the initiative to other areas of Puducherry town, with funding support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) of the Government of France.
Under the AFD-funded project, the government also proposes to set up a 20 million litres per day water treatment plant, utilising surface water from Oussudu Lake. A joint coordination committee, constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), met for the second time on June 18 and recommended utilising this water for drinking purposes. The final report on this proposal is awaited.
Further plans include the establishment of seven brackish water treatment plants, each with a capacity of 1 MLD, at a cost of Rs 30.50 crore. The aim is to reduce Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) to less than 1,000.
A formal letter will be sent to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister by Puducherry CM within a week, seeking its share of Then Penniyar from Satanur Dam as per the water sharing agreement between the two states. This agreement involves the release of 311 TMC of water over nine months from Sathanur Dam.