The Hindu : Mega desalination project proposed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Mega desalination project proposed

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 29. The State Government has proposed a mega desalination project, using seawater, for a lasting solution to the water scarcity problem in Chennai.

Announcing this in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Local Administration Minister, M.C. Sampath, who is also the Chairman of Metrowater, said a desalination plant with a 300 MLD (million litres a day) capacity had been planned, using the state of the art technology. Likely to cost about Rs. 1,500 crores, the project would be implemented on the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis.

As the Second Chennai Project was nearing completion, one more scheme, aimed at tapping groundwater, desilting of a couple of tanks and lakes, would be submitted to the World Bank for assistance. The proposed Third Chennai Project, estimated to cost Rs. 600 crores, would provide for the extension of water supply to adjacent urban areas of the city. Construction of a check dam at Thirukandalam across Kosasthalaiyar, improvement of the Vallur anaicut, use of groundwater from the Araniar-Kosasthaliayar (AK) aquifer, and desilting of Ambattur and Korattur tanks in addition to Rettai Eri had been planned.

Mr Sampath said the Chief Minister instructed Metrowater to use water from the Kolavoy Lake near Chengalpattu for the city supply, after meeting the irrigation requirements. To be completed by September 2004, the Rs.29-crore scheme would supplement the supply at the rate of 20 MLD. Water would be treated at Thirukazhukundram and the pipelines, being laid under the Chennai Water Supply Augmentation Project-I, would be used for conveying water to the city. To make government hospitals self-sufficient in water supply, reverse osmosis plants would be set up to treat locally-available brackish water for use. Initially, this scheme would be implemented in Chennai and in five municipal corporations of the State.

Power from waste

Earlier, the Chief Minister said the Perungudi project to generate power from waste in the city would be implemented with technology from Australia. An agreement with an Australian firm was to be signed on Tamil New Year Day but did not take place as officials of the company could not visit Chennai in view of the war in Iraq.

As part of the Green Chennai project, Mr Sampath said landscaping traffic islands, medians and parks would be taken up at a cost of Rs. 5 crores. For this, professionals would be engaged.

As many as 25 "pay and use" public toilets under the BOOT basis would be constructed on a pilot basis this year. Conservancy operations in Zones V and VII would be privatised initially, without affecting the services of regular employees.

Inundation prevention measures would be implemented in eight neighbouring municipalities falling under the Chennai Metropolitan Area at a cost of Rs. 33.64 crores on war footing. Before the onset of northeast monsoon, the works of laying larger capacity pipelines and improving capacity of sewage pumping stations, particularly in north Chennai, would be completed, the Minister said, adding that new stormwater drains would be built for 25 km and waterways/canals desilted.

Under the Mega City Programme, Rs. 7.35-crore infrastructure works would be executed in 9 town panchayats of Sembakkam, Perungalathur, Madambakkam, Peerkankaranai, Mangadu, Chitlapakkam, Anakaputhur, Pammal and Thirunindravur this year. An underground sewerage scheme would also be taken up at Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam town panchayat at a cost of Rs. 8.44 crores.

Rainwater harvesting

In 34,000 buildings, 70,000 rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures had been installed, thanks to the campaign in this regard, the Minister said. Necessary thrust would be given to install such structures in more buildings. The water and sewer connections were effected only on installation of RWH structures in new buildings. "This is gaining momentum as a people's movement".

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