Test run a success, Mullaperiyar drinking water scheme on course

Madurai: In a significant milestone in bridging the water requirements of Madurai city, the city corporation conducted a successful test run of the AMRUT Mullaperiyar drinking water scheme in mid-April, almost two years after work started. This was the first-time water was transported from Lower Camp in Theni district to Madurai city, 147 km away.
The official trial run is likely to be held sometime next week.

“Household supply to the extension area is expected to be completed by the end of this year while core areas will receive water from Mullaperiyar by the end of 2025,” a senior corporation official told TOI.
Corporation officials said work on the pipeline between Lower Camp and Pannaipatti Water Treatment Plant, spanning 93 kilometre, and from the plant to Madurai city, for 54 kilometre, under first two packages of the scheme was completed in March.
Confirming the success of the test run, a senior official said there was minimal leakage in the pipelines and water was successfully delivered to city interiors near P&T Nagar in Madurai East zone.
In order to store the water in overhead tanks built for the project and subsequently distribute it to the households, the corporation has also started test runs in the feeder lines that connect the main pipeline with the overhead tanks.
“A total of 38 tanks were planned to be constructed in the city limits for the Mullaperiyar project, among which 29 are complete. Three tanks will be completed in July and six in October,” said the official.
The corporation has adopted a phased approach for the project, prioritizing household connections. Under Package 4, household connections are primarily focused on added areas, with testing of overhead tanks and feeder lines underway in East and North zones.
“We plan to fill the tank in P&T Nagar and check pipelines in one residential area first, followed by test runs in K K Nagar and other areas in East zone,” said a corporation official.
The feeder lines of P&T Nagar and the OHT will be tested within the next one week, added the official.
Madurai city’s drinking water requirement is 300MLD, of which 170MLD is met from Vaigai dam, the riverbed and Cauvery Integrated Water Supply Scheme. With AMRUT bringing about 125MLD of water, the city may be almost self-sufficient by 2026.
“As we are getting less water in Cauvery scheme sometimes, many residents are suffering in the West and East zone.
So, we plan to connect these tanks as a proactive measure to bridge the gap in supply by filling in water from the Mullaperiyar scheme,” the official said.
More than 80% of household connections in the extension area and around 20% in the core areas are complete. New connections are being provided based on pipeline access to residential areas.