Coimbatore: Farmers and residents urged the Coimbatore district administration to pump treated wastewater from the Ondipudur sewage treatment plant (STP) to Kadukuttai in Chettipalayam near Madukkarai regularly. This issue was raised during the farmers’ grievance redressal meeting on Friday.A petition regarding this was submitted to district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar. The petitioners highlighted that Kadukuttai pond in Chettipalayam (Madukkarai taluk) is not consistently receiving water under the groundwater recharge project. Funded by the Coimbatore District Mineral Foundation Trust, the Kadukuttai tank project aims at supplying treated wastewater from the Ondipudur sewage treatment facility to the 16-acre area in Kadukuttai.The project includes an underground tank and a motor room, equipped with a 120 horsepower motor pump and 400mm-diameter K7 ductile iron pipelines over a 4.6km stretch. Officials confirmed that water supply commenced after securing free electricity for the project, resulting in a notable rise in water levels in nearby wells.Su Palanisamy, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association associated with the AIKS, said, “The initiative was expected to recharge groundwater, enhance irrigation for nearly 5,000 acres, alleviate drinking-water shortages, improve agricultural activities, and support the livelihoods of approximately 25,000 people. While the Coimbatore corporation is not compensated for the treated wastewater, the operation and maintenance of the pumping system are currently managed by the Coimbatore Kadukuttai Water Pumping and Groundwater Recharge Association. However, the association struggles with funding issues, leading to cripple project.”He alleged that despite official assurances, the scheme is not being effectively implemented. He added, “This has raised serious concerns in adjacent villages like Pachapalayam and Kurumbapalayam, forcing them to face severe water shortages.”EOM
