24x7 water supply project in Coimbatore likely to hit another roadblock

Coimbatore: The 24x7 water supply project is likely to hit another roadblock on Trichy Road and Mettupalayam Road, even as the city corporation races against time to complete the project by September this year.

According to official sources, more than 80% work on the project has been completed. Now that the project has reached its last leg, the challenge is digging two major highway roads - Mettupalayam Road and Trichy Road. The project requires the road to be dug from Bharathi Park on Mettupalayam Road to Trichy Road near Alvernia School via Ramnagar and Addis Street to lay the pipeline.

"Traffic diversion is a key issue, hampering the work. Withy monsoon around the corner, the work is sure to be delayed. Rainwater will fill the pits, brining work to a grinding halt. We can't lay the pipelines and in the case of already laid ones, we wouldn't be able to check for leakages, if any, and identify the exact location," said a senior corporation official.

Earlier, corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran had made it clear that no more digging of roads would be allowed after September, when those in progress should also be completed to begin restoration and relaying of all damaged roads in the city limits.

"Within this timeframe, we have to achieve the target house service connections. The crucial part is digging the arterial roads such as Trichy Road, Kamarajar Road, Nanjappa Road and Oppanakara Street," he said.

He said an intersection point would come up near Alvernai School. "Water from both Siruvani and Pillur-III schemes will intersect at the point, but will be separated through a valve. When there is an insufficient supply of water from Siruvani, the Pillur-III scheme water will be diverted through this valve to ensure supply until Ukkadam and Karumbukadai."

Another officer clarified that the target house service connections are based on the existing water tax payment assessments. "They wouldn't have to pay any deposit, but the tariff will continue to be collected. The old house service connections are being replaced with the pipelines connected to the 24x7 water supply project."

A resident of Ramanathapuram, who didn't want to be named, said the corporation was earlier digging Trichy Road for stormwater drains, causing a lot of inconvenience with diversions, and narrow and bad road conditions. "Even before that is over, they are digging the road on the other side. You can't imagine the congestion during the peak hours, as this is surrounded by school zones."