Mayor's inspection visit to Pilloor dam
Mayor R. Venkatachalam tastes Pilloor water at the Velliyangadu treatment plant on Sunday. Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy (second left) and Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran (right) are also in the picture.The Coimbatore Corporation is of the view that the power supply for the Pilloor drinking water scheme is good and that the installation of a couple of equipment will help avoid problems.Mayor R. Venkatachalam made this observation on Sunday after a visit to the Pilloor Dam and the treatment plant and pumping station at Velliyankadu.Minister for Rural Industries Pongalur N. Palanisamy and Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran and officials from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Mayor inspected the dam and the facilities to identify the reasons for problems in the supply under the present scheme. The visit was also to assess the water situation for the Pilloor Phase II Scheme for the city.The Mayor also clarified that had not been too many power cuts to disrupt supply. This statement of the Mayor was significant in the context of earlier claims by water authorities that power trips led to breach in the Pilloor main supply line. The electricity board had also denied this charge.Quoting board officials, the Mayor said that there had been only six power cuts in the last four months. But, the capacity of the transmission system used for the water scheme had to be increased. This required two equipment costing Rs.85 lakh. Whether the water board or the Coporation should buy it would be decided later after discussions.
The Corporation was, however, of the opinion that the water board should install the equipment as the scheme was under its control and the civic body was also paying for the water supplied to it.The Minister and the Mayor told presspersons at the treatment plant that the Phase II scheme would have mild steel pipes from the pumping station to main service reservoir on the city's border.They said this in response to questions over the frequent damage to the cement concrete pipes used in the existing scheme.Mr. Venkatachalam said that Commissioner of Municipal Administration Niranjan Mardi and Joint Commissioner Hitesh S. Makhwana had during their recent visit insisted on the Phase II scheme taking off soon.
"They want the tenders to be invited soon. The aim is to complete the scheme in one-and-a-half years," he said.On the Pilloor water situation, the Mayor said 61 million litres a day were being supplied to the eastern parts of the city."We need another 67 million litres to meet the rising demand," he said. An additional treatment plant would also be established at Velliyankadu for the Phase II scheme.
