Hosur , 22 Mar 2004

Under the inspiring leadership of Dr. J Jayalalitha, Honourable Chief Minister, the Tamil Nadu Government partners TVS Motor Company in a pioneering initiative for cleaner and cheaper drinking water for Hosur Town

In a brief ceremony held at Hosur today, and amidst the presence of esteemed officials of the TWAD Board, District Collector - Krishnagiri, Mr.Manjathram Sharma, Dr. Sundaramoorthy, eminent water Management consultant and other senior officials at TVS Motor Company, clean drinking water was officially released to the Hosur Municipality area. Having witnessed the problems faced by the residents of Hosur with regard to erratic supplies and unclean drinking water facing the people of Hosur, Shri Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company approached Dr. J Jayalalitha, Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu expressing his interest in resolving this issue with the intention of bringing clean and healthy water to the people of Hosur. The Hon'able Chief Minister showed her generosity and graciousness by immediately extending the required support and in a matter of a month's time the project was completed. This effort aimed at improving the availability of potable water for the residents of Hosur has been successful only due to Dr. J Jayalalitha, Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu's initiative support. With the cooperation of the Tamil Nadu Government and TWAD (Tamil Nadu Water Authority Development) Board, TVS Motor Company acted as the catalyst in reviving the Kelavarappally Dam water by implementing, for the first time in India, an advanced water treatment process of International Standard to ensure clean water for domestic use. This proactive initiative will help address the large shortfall of water faced by the people of Hosur otherwise dependent on ground water or external water supply. Approximately 95,000 people reside in Hosur and have been faced with severe water shortage since many years. The inconsistent rainfall and depleting ground water had added to the woes of the increasing populace forcing them to be depended on expensive and poor quality water. Over the past years, water withdrawals had increased in an alarming rate due to increase in population, which in the long term would have affected the ecosystem of the region. Originally the Kelavarappally dam was constructed to ensure water supply for Industrial and domestic use. However, due to strong ammonia content it was no longer possible for the domestic use. Though the Kelavarappally Dam possessed a state of the art water treatment plant it was not completely adequate to ensure cleaner water for domestic use. With the completion of this project the people of Hosur can now look forward to better quality of life.

REVIVAL AND UPGRADATION OF KELAVARAPPALLI DAM WATER TREATMENT PROJECT FOR POTABLE DRINKING WATER FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HOSUR, TAMIL NADU

  • Location: Hosur, Tamil Nadu. (Approximately 40 KM from Bangalore)
  • Population: Approximately 95,000 people
  • Altitude: 950 mtrs above sea level
  • Average Rainfall: 892 mm per annum,
  • Recent rainfall: 605 mm per annum
  • Water requirement: 66,50,000 litres /day
  • Present Supply: 31,00,000 litres/day (before project implementation)
  • Water Source of Kelavarappally Dam: Ponniar River
Issues
  • Kelavarappally Dam reservoir is the key source of water for the Hosur region. Due to high Ammonia and Phosphate contents the water was found unclean for domestic use. Only SIPCOT industries used this water for industrial purpose.
  • Poor quality of drinking water for the people of Hosur forced to rely on bore wells and external water supply. This led to depletion of groundwater and affected the eco-system of the region
Objective of the Project
  • Provide clean and cheap drinking water for the People of Hosur
Process of Implementation
  • TVS Motor Company conducts feasibility study
  • TVS Motor Company consults with the Tamil Nadu Government
  • TVS Motor Company appointments Creative Environmental Consultants as Project Managers
  • TVS Motor Company join hands with Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD Board)
  • The team undertakes upgradation of Existing Water Treatment Plant with application of advanced technology of International standard, first time in India.
  • The team undertakes cleaning and rectification of pipe which include flushing out the contamination
  • Approvals of test results of 'treated water' from Department of Public Health and Preventive Measures
  • The District Collector, Krishnagiri District releases clean water to the Residents of Hosur
This project was implemented to international standards within 30 days by TVS Motor Company's project team

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION
The Water Management Consultants appointed by TVS Motor Company, after studying the Kelavarappally dam water quality conducted treatability experiments and evolved a treatment process of International Standards suitable for the local conditions using indigenous equipments.

This technology utilizes Lime to raise the pH of the water to beyond 11 and whereby the water is rendered free of pathogenic organisms and colour and odour and simultaneously the Ammonia is converted to gaseous form and which in turn is stripped off through high pressure nozzle sprays of the high pH water, whose pH is reduced by blowing Carbon Dioxide into it through a system of diffusers and thereafter filtered in rapid sand filters and given break point chlorination before distribution. The treated water has been tested by the TWAD Board laboratory and is found to be safe.

This water treatment process used in Kelavarapally Dam, Hosur will be the first time ever used in India. Similar technology has been used internationally before in very few places like Occoquan in Virginia State, Passaic basin in New Jersey State in USA, the city of Windhoek at Namibia and Orange County at USA, SINGAPORE