The Corporation, in a bid to improve its existing drinking water supply system to the residents, has proposed to install SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system in Thatchanallur and Melapalayam zones on an outlay of ₹24.30 crore under the ongoing Centre-funded Smart City programme.
The proposed system would control distribution of drinking water from head works and service reservoirs to residents of Thatchanallur and Melapalayam zones even as this system is already in use in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai zones. The recently held meeting of the Board of Directors of Tirunelveli Smart City Limited with K. Bhaskaran, Chairman, approved these two projects. While ₹12.01 crore has been earmarked for the project meant for Thatchanallur Zone, ₹12.29 crore will be spent for Melapalayam Zone.
As all the four zones will get the SCADA system, an ‘Integrated Command and Control System’ will be established in the central office at a cost of ₹12.50 crore for integrating all the four SCADA systems.
“Apart from using this integrated system for controlling the four SCADA systems, it can be used for conserving energy in all corporation offices, street lights and used as a ‘war room’ during natural disasters and pandemic to evolve and execute strategies in the city within short notice,” said V. Narayanan Nair, Chief Executive Officer, Tirunelveli Smart City Limited.
Dr. Nair said several north Indian States, which have created this Integrated Command and Control System, are using it for their anti-COVID-19 operations very effectively.
The board granted its nod for the construction of a shopping mall near the Palayamkottai bus-stand at an estimated cost of ₹11.73 crore and a multi-level car parking near the Palayamkottai bus-stand at a cost of ₹12.82 crore even as the Palayamkottai bus terminus is under reconstruction.
“Since the quarters of the senior corporation officials and the bungalow of Deputy Mayor were very old, all these old structures have been demolished to give way for the shopping mall and the multi-level car parking,” he said.
Of the 2.40 acre in this area, the Palayamkottai bus-stand is on 1.10 acre and the quarters and the Deputy Mayor bungalow are situated on the remaining 1.30 acre. Hence, the 1.30 acre will be used for the shopping mall and the multi-level car parking.
“Within the shopping mall we are planning to have an exclusive zone for shops selling branded products and the other zone will be utilised for common purpose,” Dr. Nair said.
