Chennai: IIT Madras has joined hands with Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) to provide solar power, safe drinking water to three villages in Nagapattinam district.
During the course of next two years, the project would be implemented at a total cost of Rs.14 .49 crore, a release from IIT Madras said.
The three villages Vellalapakkam, Gopurajapuram and Panangudi are situated near CPCL’s Cauvery Basin Refinery in Nagapattinam district.
IIT Madras submitted proposals to execute the project and entered into a MoU with CPCL. Professor Ravindra Gettu, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras has signed the MoU with M. Sankaranarayanan, Chief General Manager (HR & Legal), CPCL.
“We expect the project to be one of the showcase CSR Projects of CPCL and we assure that CPCL will provide all support required to IIT Madras towards its execution,” CPCL director (finance) Rajeev Ailawadi said in the release.
IIT Madras will conduct a topographical survey to study the area and ground levels for designing water distribution system. It will also assess the pond and conduct water quality testing, estimate the yield of wells in the area.
IIT-Madras has recommended converting all such toilets in the villages to septic tank-based treatment that would cause less harm.
IIT-M will also execute a household level rainwater harvesting system at a cost of '60 lakh and cover around 600 households in the region.
The institute will also work towards constructing reverse osmosis (RO) plants and drinking water distribution systems in the village schools. Solar power for households, compost yard construction, skill development and health care activities would also be undertaken.
