Athikadavu-Avinashi project will be implemented soon: Minister S Muthusamy

COIMBATORE: Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy on Sunday said that the Athikadavu-Avinashi Ground Water Recharge and Drinking Water Supply Scheme will be implemented soon using the surplus water from the Bhavanisagar dam.

“Chief Minister MK Stalin has directed for the opening of the Bhavanisagar dam on August 15. Once this surplus water is received, and all the six pumping stations start functioning at the same time, the scheme will be brought to use for the public,” the minister informed the media, following a meeting with officials in Erode regarding the project.

Explaining the reason for the delay in the project's implementation, Muthusamy said that there was some delay in land acquisition for one or three pumping stations. “Work for the main pipeline laying could not be carried out from June 2021 to August 2022 as the land owners wanted the compensation amount to be paid beforehand,” he said.

Despite several rounds of talks with the Erode Collector and the water resources department authorities, the landowners refused to budge. Work then started in September 2022 and was completed by January 2023. Consequently, the trial run commenced on February 20, 2023.

However, due to non-use, the connecting pipelines developed repairs and water started leaking from them as a result. “But with assistance from other departments, the repairs work was done and water was pumped into 750 tanks in June 2023. From November 2023 to January 2024, water was pumped into 1045 tanks. However, the project still could not be opened for public use due to the lack of water in the Kalingarayan anicut,” the minister elaborated.

Muthusamy added that efforts were being taken to compensate the landowners.

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Annamalai has announced a hunger strike from 20 August, demanding the immediate implementation of the scheme and compensation for the land owners.