Vijay sets 5-year target for 24x7 water supply in urban Tamil Nadu, directs officials to undertake restoration of Cooum river and Buckingham canal

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday directed officials to ensure uninterrupted 24x7 drinking water supply in all 25 municipal corporations and provide at least three hours of daily water supply in all 146 municipalities and 479 town panchayats within the next five years as part of an ambitious urban infrastructure overhaul.Chairing a review meeting of the municipal administration and water supply department at the secretariat, Vijay assessed the progress of centrally sponsored schemes such as AMRUT, AMRUT 2.0, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), JJM 2.0 and SBM 2.0, besides projects being implemented with assistance from international funding agencies.Officials informed the chief minister that Tamil Nadu could leverage the Union govt’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), introduced in April 2026, to execute infrastructure projects worth around Rs 30,000 crore. Vijay instructed officials to ensure all centrally funded schemes are completed within stipulated timelines and to prepare and implement new projects under the UCF without delay.The chief minister reviewed the status of flagship state initiatives, including the Urban Development Programme, Singara Chennai 2.0 and the 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.Vijay stressed that all corporations should achieve 100% drinking water and sewerage connections and that untreated sewage must not be allowed to enter waterbodies. He also called for greater reuse of treated wastewater for industrial, commercial, park maintenance and other non-potable purposes.Reviewing Chennai’s waterway restoration efforts, the chief minister 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, with a focus on creating blue-green urban corridors.As part of long-term urban planning, 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 Trichy, 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 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. Officials said the initiative aims at significantly reducing rabies-related deaths and improving public health outcomes.The meeting was briefed on the proposed Chief Minister’s Integrated Urban Transformation Mission (CMIUTM) 2026-31, a comprehensive urban infrastructure programme covering drinking water supply, underground sewerage, solid waste management, roads and transport, urban greening, waterbody restoration, social infrastructure, public health facilities, digital governance and safety infrastructure for women and children.Officials estimated that the mission would require investments of at least Rs 1.5 lakh crore over five years. Funding is proposed to be mobilised through a combination of Union and state government schemes, municipal bonds, Finance Commission grants and support from international funding agencies.Praising the vision document, Vijay directed officials to ensure transparency, accountability and effective monitoring in implementation. He emphasised that integrated planning and timely execution were essential to create world-class urban infrastructure across Tamil Nadu and ensure projects are delivered quickly for public benefit.