Work on implementing a 24×7 drinking water supply scheme on a pilot basis across six wards of the city is witnessing steady progress and is likely to be completed ahead of schedule.
The project, being implemented at a cost o f₹38.49 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme, is designed to ensure a continuous water supply on a pilot basis. The project’s funding comprises contributions of ₹11.54 crore from the Central government, ₹10.39 crore from the State government, and a loan of ₹16.56 crore from the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund (TNUDF).
The pilot scheme covers wards 51 to 56, which include areas such as Cantonment, Railway Junction, Ponnagar, Jaya Nagar, Viswas Nagar, Karumandapam, and IOB Colony. Once operational, it will supply 19.51 million litres per day (MLD) of drinking water to a population of 1,25,902 residents.
A total of 14,819 domestic and commercial connections are to be provided under teh scheme. Drinking water pipelines will be laid for 100.697 km, a new overhead tank with a capacity to store two lakh litres of water at Nakshatra Nagar, in addition to the eight existing overhead water tanks in these areas.
Work on the project commenced in September and is scheduled for completion within two years of commissioning. With the current pace of progress, we expect to complete the work before the deadline, an official said.
Of the total pipeline length, 80 km has already been laid, while the remaining 20 km, comprising 10 km from the Melapudur to Railway Junction and another 10 km in the interior roads of wards 53 and 54, is currently under progress.
The construction of the new overhead tank at Nakshatra Nagar is also advancing swiftly and is expected to be completed within a month. Additionally, work on the 1.01 km pumping main is ongoing, with about 600 metres completed so far. Valve installation in the Palayam Bazaar area has also been completed.
The scheme incorporates a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to digitally monitor the drinking water supply. Smart meters are to be affixed to measure the water consumption in every connection.
Published – November 10, 2025 09:30 pm IST
