CM Vijay unveils major Tamil Nadu projects for water, roads, drainage and waste management

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced a series of urban infrastructure initiatives covering drinking water, underground drainage, waste management, roads, pedestrian facilities and urban greenery, with several projects involving investments running into thousands of crores.

During a visit to Salem's Mettur, Vijay also made an unscheduled stop at a roadside farm and gifted his sunglasses to an elderly woman named Chellam.

₹4,800 crore desalination plant planned at Minjur

The Tamil Nadu government plans to establish a desalination plant at Minjur with a capacity of 400 million litres per day at an estimated cost of ₹4,800 crore.

The project is intended to meet drinking water requirements in Chennai, Avadi, Ponneri and Minjur as demand rises with urbanisation and population growth.

The government also plans a ₹500 crore project in Avadi Corporation aimed at providing 24-hour drinking water supply to households.

An additional ₹1,000 crore will be allocated to improve drinking water facilities in Madurai and Cuddalore corporations, nine municipalities and 20 town panchayats.

The government will also provide an initial ₹300 crore for rehabilitating 33 old combined drinking water supply schemes.

In Chennai, the capacity of the Kilpauk water treatment plant will be expanded under a project estimated to cost ₹420 crore.

₹2,400 crore plan to upgrade Madurai's drainage system

The government plans phased rehabilitation of Madurai Corporation's underground drainage network, which is around 40 years old. The works are estimated to cost ₹2,400 crore.

New underground drainage projects worth ₹4,060 crore will be implemented in existing and newly added areas of Nagercoil Corporation, as well as in Kundrathur and Nandivaram-Guduvancheri municipalities.

In Chennai, ₹236 crore will be spent on improving drinking water and sewage infrastructure in areas including Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam and Egmore.

Waste-to-energy projects planned in Salem and Tirunelveli

Tamil Nadu also plans to expand scientific solid waste management through waste-to-energy projects.

A ₹256 crore project in Tirunelveli Corporation will have a proposed power-generation capacity of 9 MW.

A similar project in Salem Corporation is estimated to cost ₹293 crore and will have a proposed capacity of 10 MW.

Together, the two projects are estimated to cost ₹547 crore.

₹1,850 crore for urban road works

The government plans to undertake road repairs and construction across urban local bodies, including Chennai, at an estimated cost of ₹1,850 crore.

The works are intended to address damaged roads affected by drinking water and underground drainage projects while also providing new roads.

Under the Namma Chennai Valarchi Thittam, modern streets and pedestrian pathways covering 35 km across an area of 45 sq km will be developed in Chennai Corporation.

The government also plans to develop Safe Access to Schools facilities along 15 km of roads around schools to improve children's safety.

Traffic infrastructure will be improved at 105 road junctions under the Improvement of Traffic Islands initiative.

The Chennai projects are estimated to cost ₹128 crore.

Similar modern roads, pedestrian pathways, school-access facilities and junction improvements will be undertaken in other corporations at an estimated cost of ₹165 crore.

Together, these works under the Integrated Urban Development Programme are estimated to cost ₹275 crore.

One crore saplings and 250 new parks

The government has also outlined measures aimed at increasing green cover and improving recreational facilities in urban areas.

One crore saplings will be planted and maintained across Tamil Nadu.

Large parks will be developed in Trichy, Tirukol and Ukkottai districts at an estimated cost of ₹130 crore.

Another 250 new parks will be established across the state at a cost of ₹175 crore.

The combined allocation for the park and urban greening initiatives is ₹305 crore.

Vijay visits Mettur and opens Stanley Reservoir gates

The announcements came alongside Vijay's visit to Salem district.

He opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur to facilitate irrigation for agricultural activities in the Cauvery delta districts.

He also inspected the Mettur hydroelectric power station before travelling towards Salem airport.

During the journey, Vijay made an unscheduled stop after noticing elderly women working in fields near a roadside farm.

CM gifts sunglasses to elderly woman

During the stop, Vijay met an elderly woman named Chellam at the home of local farmer Palanisamy.

Chellam said she was surprised when Vijay approached her and stood beside her. She told him that she was happy to see him.

According to her account, Vijay asked whether she had eaten and spoke with her while walking around the garden area and nearby cattle shed.

Before leaving, Vijay gave Chellam the sunglasses he had been wearing.

Chellam described the unexpected meeting as a deeply memorable moment and compared the value of the memory to a crore of rupees.

Analysis: focus on urban infrastructure and public services

The projects announced by the Tamil Nadu government focus on basic urban services that face increasing pressure as cities expand. Drinking water availability, sewage treatment, waste disposal, road quality and public green spaces are central to the functioning of rapidly growing urban areas.

The proposed Minjur desalination plant is particularly significant for the Chennai region, where securing additional sources of drinking water has become an important infrastructure priority. The planned expansion of the Kilpauk treatment plant and the proposed 24-hour supply project in Avadi are also aimed at strengthening urban water systems.

The drainage investments address another long-term infrastructure challenge. Rehabilitation of older underground networks in cities such as Madurai could improve wastewater management, while new networks are planned for expanding urban areas.

The waste-to-energy projects in Salem and Tirunelveli link solid waste management with electricity generation. Meanwhile, road, pedestrian and school-access projects indicate a focus on improving everyday urban mobility and safety.

The proposed planting of one crore saplings and creation of 250 parks adds an environmental and recreational component to the broader urban development programme.