The Rs 52.54-crore drinking water scheme of Thirumangalam Municipality has been delayed by five months due to land acquisition issues.

The project, launched on 01 January, 2024, was initially set for completion in July 2025 but is now expected to be ready by December 2025. Thirumangalam’s 20,000 households currently receive 5.4 MLD of drinking water from the Cauvery and Vaigai rivers through two schemes.

To meet rising demand, the Municipality is developing a new source from the Vaigai river in Mullipallam under the Kalaignar Urban Development Fund, with a planned capacity of 4.3 MLD to sustain supply for the next decade. The project includes five overhead tanks of varying capacities, the largest holding seven lakh litres.

However, delays arose as the pumping station land belonged to the Public Works Department (PWD), requiring a no-objection certificate (NOC), while the 25 km pipeline route also crossed PWD land. The Water Resources Department confirmed approval was given after proper documents were submitted. Despite setbacks, officials expect completion by year-end.