Coimbatore suburbs eagerly waiting for water schems
Even as a few suburbs south, west and north of the city eagerly await the implementation for the Aliyar and Bhavani schemes for stepping up drinking water supply, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission envisages improvements on this front for 23 local bodies.These include the Kuniamuthur, Kurichi and Kavundampalayam. The rest are town panchayats that also see hectic growth.Initially taking up only the city, the mission later included the peri-urban areas along the Corporation’s borders under its urban agglomeration component. The idea is to equip the townships surrounding the city with enough water so that there is no pressure on the Corporation to share its resources.At present, shortage of water under the Siruvani scheme has forced three municipalities to appeal for one million litres a day (mld) from the Corporation’s quota of more than 85 million litres.With pressure on the Corporation to meet the rising demand on its own territory, the civic body is about to implement the Rs.96-crore Pilloor Phase II scheme that will supply 125 (mld). The Phase I scheme already supplies a similar amount, of which 65 mld is for the city. More than 60 mld is to be supplied to the Corporation under the second phase.Almost all the local bodies in the suburbs have said that their drinking water requirement has doubled. For instance, Kuniamuthur, Kurichi and Kavudampalayam municipalities get 3.02 mld, 3.9 mld and 2.7 mld. Vadavalli Town Panchayat gets seven lakh litres and Veerakeralam Town Panchayats gets more than four lakh litres.
Kalapatti and Irugur that are on the eastern border of the city get a little more than one lakh litres. Veerakeralam has already asked for a link with the new Siruvani line the Corporation has planned. The present quota of supply is very low, says town panchayat president V.T. Bakthavathsalam. The link can provide temporary relief.These are areas which people move into from the city and make their home.The local bodies have pointed out that rise in population has been on at a brisk pace over the last four years. But, the measly amount of water allocated to them has never changed for more than 10 years.
Apart from a number of infrastructure schemes such as drainage, slum development and roads, the mission wants to help the smaller local bodies around the Corporation get more drinking water and prevent shortage of the commodity from retarding their growth. Self-sufficient suburbs will help in decongesting the city.The Corporation will act as the nodal agency for the suburbs, helping them draft plans. The local bodies will have to arrange part of the funds to meet the project cost, while the rest will come as grants. At present, water supply in most of these local bodies is made once in four days to 10 days. Supply position improves only when the Siruvani Dam gets filled up. But, the city is also waiting for this after going through anxious moments during summer.
With one half of the Corporation and also three municipalities and nine town panchayats dependent on the Siruvani scheme, there are concerted efforts for self-sufficiency in drinking water supply.A consultant has drawn up tentative projections (see table) for the suburbs. It is said that mission may provide funds for the water schemes already set to be implemented.Besides, there may be a special focus on having a good distribution system within each local body. The Corporation has already been asked carve out from the Pilloor Phase II scheme a component for distribution within the city.
