Chennai: Metrowater is set to supply piped water to about 1.2 lakh residents in village panchayats such as Moulivakkam, Iyyapanthangal, and Paraniputhur in the city’s western suburbs. On Monday, the agency floated tenders for laying a 10-km pipeline from its 530-MLD Chembarambakkam treatment plant.Metrowater superintending engineer Sivakumar said the work will begin by the third week of Aug. “About 136 MLD will be supplied from the pipelines. The deadline for the project is Oct 2025,” he said. The water network will have a 1,200-mm-diameter pipeline coming from Chembarambakkam through Poonamalle High Road. The village panchayats have already built household tap connections under the Union govt’s Jal Jeevan Mission, wherein every household must daily get 55 litres of water.As of now, these panchayats rely on borewells, tankers, or freshwater bodies. Senthil Kumar, a civic activist from Iyyappanthangal, said the borewell water is sometimes salty. “Even the village panchayat draws only groundwater, pumps it to the overhead tank, and supplies it. This water is muddy and not drinkable,” he said, adding that people spend 35 for a water can every three days.Senthil added that when the groundwater level dips, they also have to rely on private tankers, spending at least 3,000 a load. “Metrowater has to provide the promised 55 litres per day. If they are only going to give water twice a day, it won’t help. Piped supply will also prevent the private tanker mafia from destroying the leftover water bodies,” added Senthil. Metrowater officials said eventually, the scheme will be expanded to areas such as Kolapakkam and Gerugambakkam, in the southwestern suburbs near the airport.
