'Cauvery can come to Chennai rescue'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 19. A `perfect' solution could be found to the city water problem, if the Cauvery was tapped. At least, 30 tmc could be realised from the river on a recurring basis. This would meet the water requirements till 2020, the Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association said today.

To convey the water to the city, a canal or a pipeline could be dug or laid in such a way as to pass through arid and undeveloped regions in Tiruchi, South Arcot and the composite Chengalpattu districts. Thus, water could be provided to villages and towns along the way.

``This scheme, which envisaged forming a canal from Pallipalayam near Erode to Chemberambakkam reservoir, was mooted in 1983. But this was not taken up for consideration since the Government thought that the Telugu Ganga project would suffice,'' said Mr. C. A. Srinivasan, a chartered engineer and former PWD chief engineer.

The scheme, which would have cost Rs. 220 crores then, would only cost the same as the new Veeranam scheme, he said addressing presspersons here today. There was no need for any pumping operations here as there was a drop of 130 metres from Pallipalayam to Chennai in the way specified in the plan. This drop could also be used to generate ``a significant quantum of electricity'' also. The canal will be a replica of contour canal like the Parambikulum-Aliyar project. The PWD has technical knowhow and expertise to execute this project. One advantage of this is that the drawal of water from Cauvery could be controlled as per the demands of the season.

Also, there is no bar on using river waters for drinking purpose. The national water policy says that drinking water needs should get top priority and should take precedence over irrigation interests, even if this means sacrificing a portion of an ayacut.

Veeranam is not a reliable source as it depended on flood flows from Cauvery, which reached the lake through the Vadavur channel. ``Coleroon is only a flood carrier from upper anicut and grand anicut across the Cauvery and is not a river which carries water round the year,'' said Mr. S. M. Krishnan of the association. ``Also, the tank is silted considerably. It has to be remembered that the lake is primarily meant to store water for irrigation of about 45,000 acres in Chidambaram''.

Besides these drawbacks, the annual operating costs will be very high as the Veeranam scheme involves considerable pumping operations.

The problem with the Telugu Ganga project is that it is an irrigation-cum-water-supply channel. ``You can imagine what amounts of water will reach Chennai which is at the tail end. There are about three lakh acres in between which have to be irrigated from Kandaleru to here,'' said Mr. R. Sambandam, secretary. The city is supposed to get 12 tmc in eight months: eight between July to October and four between January and April.

This is not all. It is reported that the cultivable command area in Kandaleru-Poondi canal is another two lakh acres. Ayacutdars in these areas are also clamouring for water.

The senior engineers have organised a seminar on augmenting Chennai city water supply from Cauvery (Pallipalayam) on July 21 here. The association said that a draft scheme had already been sent to the Chief Minister's office.

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