Treated sewage from Ondipudur STP to be stored in Kadukuttai tank in Coimbatore

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has completed a ₹5.5-crore project to pump treated sewage from the sewage treatment plant (STP) operated by Coimbatore Corporation at Ondipudur to Kadukuttai tank, about 4.6 km away, instead of discharging the treated water directly into the Noyyal.

The project envisages pumping the treated water from a point on the Noyyal riverbank to Kadukuttai tank. Two 60-HP motors have been installed for the purpose. The project has been completed and a trial run has also been conducted.

Of the ₹5.5-crore project cost, ₹4.76 crore was earmarked for the pumping infrastructure. The funds for the work were obtained from the District Mineral Foundation of the Department of Geology and Mining.

WRD Assistant Executive Engineer S. Sivakumar said the project had been completed and the department would commence filling Kadukuttai tank with treated water within 10 days.

“At present, about one lakh litres of treated water is available a day. The quantity will increase as more households are connected to the underground sewerage network,” he said.

Farmers, meanwhile, have urged the WRD to make arrangements to take the treated water from Kadukuttai tank to the nearby Eakani tank for irrigation.

Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association president S. Palanisami said the proposal could benefit around 5,000 acres of agricultural land in the drought-prone areas of Sulur, Madukkarai and Kinathukadavu taluks.

He said farmers in Chettipalayam, Orattukuppai, Mayilampatti, Vadachithur, Kothavadi, Kurumbapalayam, Karacheri and Eakani could benefit if the treated water was made available for irrigation.

“The availability of treated water could support agriculture, generate employment and help recharge groundwater. Farmers are increasingly becoming receptive to the use of treated sewage for agriculture,” he said.

Mr. Sivakumar, along with the farmers, inspected the project site in Madukkarai and later visited Kadukuttai and Eakani tanks to assess the possibilities of conveying the treated water to the latter.