Treated water to be used to recharge groundwater: Velumani

Treated water from a treatment plant in Ondipudur would be used to recharge groundwater and help farmers irrigate lands, Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani said here on Sunday while participating in the ground-breaking ceremony organised to launch the scheme.

A release from the district administration quoting the Minister said the State Government, based on representation from farmers in Chettipalayam, Pattanam and Peedampalli, had sanctioned ₹4.76 crore to pump the treated water from the plant to fill ‘kadukuttai’.

The 60 million litres to be treated at the Ondipudur plant would flow into a 2.60 lakh litre sump. A motor near the sump would pump 3.06 cusecs water in such a way that in 16 hours it pumped 50 lakh litres.

At this rate, the release said, it would take 15 days to fill the 2.60 mcft (million cubic feet) kadukuttai tank. As the water flowed through 4,590 metre-long pipeline, it would recharge 14 tanks in Chettipalayam, nine in Peedampalli and four in Pattanam.

In short, the scheme would help recharge groundwater and thereby farmers can irrigate 10,000 hectares. In the process, the scheme would also help increase water level in wells and borewells. And, the number of beneficiaries would be around 30,000 farmers.

The scheme was in keeping with the State Government's commitment to help farmers, the release said and quoted the Minister referring to the ‘kudi maramathu’ and River Noyyal Rejuvenation schemes to underscore the point.