The Tiruchi City Corporation, which is facing constraints in ensuring normal drinking water supply due to dwindling water table, has expedited the installation of radial arm in the riverbed of the Cauvery at Kambarasampettai here.
The Corporation has an installed capacity of 156 MLD (million litres per day) at various sources in the Cauvery and the Kollidam riverbeds. Until recently, the civic body was drawing yield almost close to its capacity. However, the civic body has been struggling to maintain yield for the last two months. The yield is hovering between 130 MLD and 140 MLD, thereby causing short supply of water. The places where the collector wells are located on the riverbed of the Cauvery and the Kollidam have gone dry in the wake of prevailing drought conditions.
The failure of a radial arm, which is used for the extraction of a large volume of groundwater without causing a deep drawdown, at a collector well at Kambarasampettai is said to be one of the factors affecting water supply in the city. Hence, the civic body was focussed on expediting installation of a new radial arm by replacing the worn out one.
Though it is part of the rejuvenation of old drinking water scheme in the city, it is said that it would augur well to augment the water supply if the installation is completed early.
According to sources, more workers have been deployed to accomplish the task. The work can be executed only when there is no flow in the river. The dry riverbed is facilitating the workers to carry out the work. All the support systems are in place to complete the work as early as possible.
It might require about 20 days to complete the process. Once completed, about 30 MLD could be pumped from the source. It would come in handy to tide over the short supply of drinking water, sources added.
