Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay announces Rs 4,800 crore desalination plant at Minjur

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced a series of urban development projects, including a Rs 4,800 crore desalination plant, water and sewage upgrades, road works, parks and tourism initiatives, aimed at addressing rapid urbanisation and improving civic infrastructure

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay made a slew of announcements in the Assembly on Wednesday on comprehensive urban development and infrastructure improvement initiatives, including a 400 MLD desalination plant, with a focus on augmenting water supply and upgrading ageing sewage systems.

The measures are aimed at addressing the challenges of rapid urbanisation and population growth.

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To ensure a safe and continuous water supply, a 400 MLD (million litres a day) desalination plant will be established at Minjur at an estimated cost of Rs 4,800 crore to serve north Chennai, Avadi, Ponneri and Minjur.

The chief minister also proposed a dedicated project to provide 24/7 water supply in Avadi at a cost of Rs 500 crore.

Improvements to water supply facilities in Madurai, Cuddalore and other municipalities at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore; the restoration of 33 old water schemes at a cost of Rs 300 crore; and the upgradation of the Kilpauk water treatment plant at an estimated cost of Rs 410 crore were also among the announcements made by the chief minister under Rule 110 in the Assembly.

He said the ageing sewage systems in Madurai, Nagercoil and Chennai would be upgraded, alongside the implementation of waste-to-energy projects in Tirunelveli, with a capacity of 9 MW at a cost of Rs 256 crore, and Salem, with a capacity of 10 MW at a cost of Rs 291 crore.

Vijay said road restoration and new construction works across urban local bodies would be undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,850 crore. He also announced the implementation of the Integrated Urban Development Plan at a cost of Rs 275 crore, including modern “People-Friendly” roads, “Safe Access to Schools” projects and improvements to traffic islands in Chennai and other corporations.

A massive initiative to plant one crore saplings would be undertaken, along with the development of major parks in Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur and Pudukkottai at a cost of Rs 130 crore, and 250 new parks across the State at a cost of Rs 175 crore. School facilities in urban local bodies would also be upgraded to improve the learning environment at a cost of Rs 335 crore, he said.

On cultural and tourism development, Vijay announced beautification projects for Chidambaram’s temple chariot festival routes at a cost of Rs 36 crore, a Heritage Walk in Cuddalore at a cost of Rs 80 crore, and tourism infrastructure improvements at Kanyakumari beach at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

Targeted infrastructure improvements in underdeveloped zones within the Chennai Corporation, including the provision of basic amenities such as roads, storm-water drains, streetlights and community centres, would also be undertaken at a cost of Rs 100 crore, he added.