Bhoomi Pooja for Rs 41.98 cr water scheme to be held in Ranipet today

RANIPET: The long pending demand for residents of various villages in Ranipet district for drinking water will be fulfilled following the state government issuing orders for a Rs 41.98 crore water supply scheme covering 89 habitations in 11 village panchayats in the Arakkonam, Kaveripakkam and Sholingur panchayat unions on Sunday.

This follows repeated petitions to then minister KC Veeramani in integrated Vellore district in 2019 for this facility. The then Vellore district collector met with TWAD officials on February 25, 2019 after which the blueprint for the scheme was drawn up and announced on the floor of the state Assembly by the municipal administration minister on March 16, 2020.

“Earlier the prevailing drought conditions resulted in residents complaining that they were unable to get enough water for their needs. The then per capita consumption planned was 209 LPCD (litres per capita per day). Once the new scheme becomes operational in a year, this amount will increase to 35 LPCD,” an official involved in the scheme said.

The scheme will cover Minnal, Sembedu and Vedal in Arakkonam PU, Banavaram in Kaveripakkam PU and Ayal, Kunnathur, Nandhimangalam, Palayapalayam, Polikuppam, Soorai and Tappur in Sholingur panchayat union, sources said.

The scheme involves sinking five infiltration wells to a depth of 12 metres at Tiruparkadal near Kaveripakkam from where submersible pumps will provide water to a group sump of 1.70 lakh litres capacity at Ayal village.

“From here water will be pumped in two directions to cover all to 89 habitations,” the official said. “Water from the group sump will be pumped in one direction to Banavaram, Ayal, Soorai and Nandhimangalam villages and through another six lines to the remaining villages where they will be pumped from panchayat sumps to local OHTs,” he added.

Pumping at the headworks will be for 18 hours to ensure that there is enough water in all village OHTs which will receive water from the panchayat sump to cover all habitations through continued 12 hours pumping.