Chennai: State PWD minister ‘Edappadi’ K. Palanisamy on Wednesday said the proposal for Avinashi-Athikadavu water scheme is with the Union environment and forest ministry for its approval.
Replying to a call attention motion in the Assembly brought by leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on the status of the scheme, the minister said the source of the project is the main canal of Pillur dam and after flowing for 35 km, it would separate into two canals at Achampalayam. The project will provide drinking water to Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode districts, he said.
The project will supply water for 31 lakes maintained by PWD, 40 ponds maintained by village panchayats , besides 538 water bodies. A detailed project report at an estimated cost of Rs 1,862 crore was sent to the Union government seeking the Union government’s financial support. However, the Central Water Commission had asked the state government to convert the drinking water project into an irrigation project too, the minister said.
Palanisamy said the state government revised the project into a drinking water project at a cost of over Rs 3,500 crore. The new project report had been sent to the Union government. The project is waiting for the approval of the Central government, he added. Earlier, Stalin, who introduced a call attention motion on the subject, said the people of Erode and Tiruppur districts had held protests demanding the implementation of the Avinashi-Athikadavu project.
