Puducherry to launch project to improve water supply sources

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry govt has proposed to launch a project to strengthen, modernise and rehabilitate water supply sources and systems in urban areas in Puducherry district with a Rs 534crore financial assistance from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a public French financial institution.

Puducherry, a popular tourist destination, has been witnessing a rapid increase in urban sprawl in recent years. The Pondicherry Urban Agglomeration Area (PUAA) caters to about 2.31 lakh households in 2025. The area is projected to increase to 4.24 lakh households by 2055. Presently, the urban area relies largely on groundwater for its drinking water supply. There are 346 tubewells in operation presently, according to the directorate of information and publicity.

The current water demand is about 140 million litres per day (MLD). The demand is projected to increase to 252 MLD by 2055, leading to a projected supply deficit of 218 MLD. Puducherry has also been identified as a water-stressed region in national groundwater assessments conducted by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

To address these challenges, the project focuses on three comprehensive water supply schemes at a combined cost of Rs179.66 crore. In addition, the project includes establishing alternative groundwater extraction units through three implementation packages at Rs 8.50 crore each, covering drilling, pumping systems and associated infrastructure.

Transmission infrastructure forms a major component of the programme, including raw water transmission mains conveying water to the water treatment plant to be established at a cost of Rs 114.52 crore. The main lines from the clear water reservoir and groundwater source to 46 overhead tanks across Puducherry will be laid at a cost of Rs 122.87 crore.

The transmission lines from the water treatment plant and pipelines connecting the groundwater sources to the treatment facility will be laid at a cost of Rs 23.37 crore and Rs 10.00 crore, respectively. The project also includes the construction of a new 30 MLD water treatment plant at ₹42.00 crore.

The reliance on groundwater will reduce, utilisation of surface water will enhance, and the overall quality, reliability and sustainability of water supply for nearly nine lakh people in the urban and suburban areas of the Puducherry region will improve by implementing these projects over the next three years.