Uninterrupted drinking water to all in 5 years: CM

Chennai: All local bodies in the state should supply drinking water for at least three hours daily, chief minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered.At a review meeting of the municipal administration and water supply department on Monday, Vijay set a five-year deadline for officials to ensure uninterrupted 24x7 drinking water supply in all the 25 municipal corporations, 146 municipalities and 479 town panchayats in the state.He said untreated sewage must not be allowed to enter water bodies. He also called for greater reuse of treated wastewater for industrial, commercial, park maintenance and other non-potable purposes.The mission is estimated to cost ₹1.5 lakh crore over five years. The govt proposes to mobilise the funds through Union and state govt schemes, municipal bonds, finance Commission grants and support from international funding agencies.CM also reviewed Centre-sponsored schemes such as AMRUT, AMRUT 2.0, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), JJM 2.0 and SBM 2.0. Officials told him minister that TN could use the Union govt’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) to execute infrastructure projects worth around ₹30,000 crore. Vijay asked officials to ensure all Centre-funded schemes are completed within stipulated timelines and to prepare and implement new projects under UCF without delay.Vijay reviewed the status of flagship state initiatives, including Urban Development Programme, Singara Chennai 2.0 and Urban Roads Improvement Programme. He directed officials to prepare a comprehensive urban infrastructure development plan integrating drinking water supply, underground sewerage, stormwater drains, transport, environmental protection, public health and climate resilience.CM directed officials to undertake restoration of the Cooum river and Buckingham Canal alongside the ongoing Adyar river restoration project. The proposed works would include diversion of sewage outfalls, pollution control, riverbank strengthening, flood mitigation measures, ecological restoration and biodiversity enhancement.Vijay directed officials to expand green infrastructure and open public spaces across all urban local bodies by 2031. Modern parks and recreational facilities are to be developed in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, while sponge parks will be created to aid flood prevention and rainwater management.He further instructed officials to establish biodiversity and ecological parks in all urban local bodies with populations exceeding one lakh and plant five crore saplings in urban areas over the next five years to improve green cover, biodiversity and climate resilience.The chief minister also reviewed plans to establish animal birth control centres in all corporations and municipalities by 2031, with smaller facilities for town panchayats and shared regional facilities where required.