Smart meter being installed at a resience at Karumandapam in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Tiruchi Corporation has expedited installation of smart meters for domestic and commercial drinking water connections in select wards under the 24×7 pilot project to calculate water charges based on actual consumption.
The 24×7 drinking water project is implemented at a cost of ₹38.49 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme. The scheme covers Ward Nos. 51 to 56, which include areas such as Cantonment, Railway Junction, Ponnagar, Jaya Nagar, Viswas Nagar, Karumandapam, and IOB Colony.
A total of 14,819 domestic and commercial connections are to be provided under the scheme. So far, 750 domestic connections have been provided in Society Colony, Karumandapam, and Bharathiyar Salai, falling under Ward Nos. 55 and 56. Once operational, it will supply 19.51 million litres daily (MLD) of drinking water to a population of 1,25,902.
“The installation work began a few months ago and the workers have been instructed to expedite the process in locations where the pipeline connections have been provided. Valve installation and pipeline laying work is under way. The project is expected to be completed ahead of schedule, after which a trial run would be conducted,” said a senior Corporation official.
There are more than 1.2 lakh drinking water connections in the city for which the civic body levies water charges with different tariffs for domestic and non-domestic consumers. At present, workers record water readings from manual meters and there is a shortage of workers as well.
The main objective of the initiative is conservation of water since metered billing is expected to make the consumers prudent. Officials said there were complaints of residents using potable water to wash vehicles and bathe cattle.
Although the city’s actual drinking water demand is about 90 million litres daily (MLD) and the supply averages around 156 million litres daily, officials said parts of the city continue to face water scarcity due to the wastage of water.
Published – November 27, 2025 06:47 pm IST
