Vijay announces Rs 4,800 crore desalination plant, major urban infrastructure projects
Chennai, Sep 2 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced drinking water, sewerage, road, green space, and digital transport initiatives as well as the withdrawal of cases against protesting farmers and teachers.
He made the announcements in the Assembly as it was debating demands for grants for dairy development, fisheries, and animal husbandry.
The largest project is a 400-million-litres-per-day seawater desalination plant at Minjur, estimated to cost Rs 4,800 crore. It will meet the drinking water requirements of north Chennai, Avadi, Ponneri and Minjur. A separate Rs 500 crore scheme will provide round-the-clock water supply to every household in Avadi Corporation.
The government will spend Rs 1,000 crore to improve water facilities in Madurai and Cuddalore corporations, nine municipalities, and 20 town panchayats.
Another Rs 300 crore will be used in the first phase to renovate 33 ageing combined water-supply schemes. The capacity of Chennai’s Kilpauk water treatment plant will be expanded at Rs 410 crore.
The first phase of modernising Madurai’s 40-year-old underground sewerage network will be taken up this year at Rs 2,400 crore. New underground drainage projects worth Rs 960 crore will also be implemented in uncovered and newly added areas of Nagercoil Corporation and in Kundrathur and Nandivaram-Guduvancheri municipalities.
Water and sewerage networks in Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam and Egmore will be improved at Rs 236 crore. Waste-to-energy plants generating nine megawatts in Tirunelveli and 10 megawatts in Salem will be established at a combined cost of Rss 547 crore.
Meanwhile, road construction and repairs across urban local bodies, including Chennai, will receive Rs 1,850 crore. Another Rs 275 crore will fund safer access around schools, upgraded junctions and similar works in other corporations.
The government will plant and maintain one crore saplings, establish major parks in Tiruchi, Tiruppur and Pudukkottai, and create 250 parks statewide at a total cost of Rs 305 crore.
Heritage and tourism works include upgrading Chidambaram’s four car streets, a heritage walk from Fort St David to Silver Beach in Cuddalore, and beautification of Kanyakumari’s coastline.
From September 15, successful driving test candidates will receive digital licences the same day, while vehicle owners can download digital registration certificates.
Vijay also said cases registered between May 2021 and April 2026 against farmers and teachers involved in peaceful protests would be withdrawn, including cases linked to the Tiruvannamalai SIPCOT and Parandur airport agitations.
—
