CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who handles the Municipal Administration and Water Supply departments announced on Wednesday new drinking water and sewage projects worth around Rs 7,000 crore across major metropolitan cities and urban areas in the State.
To meet the drinking water requirements of Chennai, particularly North Chennai, Avadi, Ponneri and Minjur, a new desalination plant with a capacity of 400 million litres per day will be set up at a cost of Rs 4,800 crore.
"To ensure round-the-clock drinking water supply in Avadi Corporation, a new scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 500 crore. The existing drinking water facilities will be upgraded in Madurai, Cuddalore, nine municipalities and 20 town panchayats at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore," the chief minister said.
He said 33 combined water supply schemes would be renovated in the first phase at a cost of Rs 300 crore. A special scheme would also be implemented at a cost of Rs 410 crore to increase the capacity of the sewage treatment plant at Kilpauk.
The chief minister said the sewage system in Madurai, one of the oldest in the city, would be renovated in the first phase at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore.
"The new sewage schemes will be implemented in Nagercoil, Kundrathur and Guduvanchery at a cost of Rs 960 crore. Drinking water and sewage systems will be upgraded at a cost of Rs 236 crore in Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam and Egmore in Chennai," he said.
He announced that waste-to-energy projects would be implemented at a cost of Rs 547 crore in Tirunelveli and Salem corporations.
"The roads in Chennai and other urban local bodies that were damaged during the implementation of drinking water and sewage projects will be re-laid at a cost of Rs 1,850 crore. To ensure the safety of schoolchildren and the public, 105 road junctions in Chennai will be improved at a cost of Rs 110 crore," the chief minister announced.
He further announced that roads, sewage systems, streetlights and solid waste management facilities would be improved in several areas under the Chennai corporation at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
He also said mega parks would be established in Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur and Pudukkottai at a cost of Rs 130 crore, while 250 new parks would be set up across the State at a cost of Rs 250 crore.
"To facilitate the Thillai Natarajar Temple car festival, basic facilities, including water supply, sewage systems and electricity, will be created along the four car streets of the temple at a cost of Rs 36 crore. A heritage walk will be established between Fort St David and Silver Beach at Cuddalore at a cost of Rs 8 crore," he said.