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Puttaparthi trust ready to fund TN water project
Our Bureau
Chennai , Aug. 20
THE Satya Sai Trust of Puttaparthi, which is
spending over Rs 200 crore to upgrade the canal between Kandaleru
and Poondi under the Telugu Ganga project, is willing to further
fund the project in Tamil Nadu, according to Mr A. Ramakrishna,
President and Deputy Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
Addressing a seminar on emerging trends and
technologies in water organised by the Confederation of Indian
Industry, here on Wednesday, he said that the trust was willing to
make available the required funds to upgrade the canal between the
Poondi and Sholavaram. This was crucial to completion of the project
that will assure water supply to Chennai. L&T has been working on
upgrading the 150 km canal between Kandaleru and the zero point on
the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh over the last seven
months with a work force of 4,000. It has provided a concrete lining
to the canal and heightened the Kandaleru reservoir to enable water
to flow freely. The work is expected to be completed in a fortnight,
and Tamil Nadu should be prepared to receive the water that can flow
if rainfall enhances water availability in the reservoirs in Andhra
Pradesh.
However, the Poondi reservoir and the canal
to Sholavaram are in a bad shape and need to be upgraded, he said.
He offered to act as a `messenger' between
Tamil Nadu and the Sai Baba Trust if the Government was willing to
make the appropriate request for funds.
Mr Ramakrishna said that while the project
was envisaged to carry over 15-tmcft water with Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Karnataka providing five tmcft each. However, not
more than 2 - 3 tmcft have flowed through the canals, he said.
Governments, corporates and NGOs need to work together for
implementing fast track water supply projects. This route is better
than the competitive lending route. Effective policies for water
management are needed including levy of user charges, he said.
The Tamil Nadu Minister for Local
Administration, Mr M.C. Sampath, said that the Government was
working on an integrated water management policy. The intervention
will cover areas such as water conservation, ground water recharge
and augmentation of ground water resources and reduction of wastage.
The Government was hoping to supply 40 litres
water per capita per day in the rural areas. If rain water
harvesting was fully harvested in the 174 square km area under
Chennai Corporation, it would make available 125 litre per capita
per day making the city self-sufficient, he said.
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