Chennai Metro Water is planning to rejuvenate the department’s
acquifer borewells and handpumps as part of its contingency plans to
ensure uninterrupted water supply to the city even as the water levels
in reservoirs are dipping slowly.

As per the plan, Metro Water is
planning to renovate the acquifer borewells owned by the department,
which is currently providing 35 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of water to
city. “We are planning to increase it to 25 to 30 MLD,” said a source
from Metro Water who added that they had identified 800 borewells that
needed to be rejuvenated.

Although the Water Resources Department
maintains that the city’s water supply would last till July 31, Metro
Water is taking no chances. Sources said that the water levels have
dipped more than 40 to 45 per cent when compared to last year, which has
resulted in chalking out an emergency plan. Metro Water feels that
through the contingency measures it can ensure the supply of 831 Million
Litres per Day (MLD) of water to the city.  In addition, a survey has
been carried out on identifying streetwise handpumps. Some of the
existing handpumps are being repaired or replaced with India Mark II
pumps. “The repairs would be over by April 15,” the source said. The
city has 3,500 handpumps which are being used in various localities.

Currently
the four reservoirs – Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam
have a total of 3,944 million cubic feet of water. This constitutes
only 35.67 per cent of total water available for the city during the
summer. The Veeranam lake, which had totally dried up, now has a total
of 224.60 million cubic feet of water thanks to the efforts of Chief
Minister J Jayalalithaa, under whose order water has been released.

Metro
Water officials said that Veeranam has been providing 90 MLD of water
for the last 10-15 days. Interestingly, during this moment of crisis due
to erratic rainfall and dwindling water in reservoirs, the only saving
grace for the city has been the supply of additional 100 MLD of water
from the Nemmelli desalination plant. Currently, water is being provided
to Indira Nagar, Beasant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur and PTC Colony,
Kottivakkam division, Thoraipakkam division and Sholinganallur. Now
Metro water is also planning to provide water to MRC Nagar and other
areas.

Interestingly, plans are underway to take up source
augmentation in arid areas. There are also plans to readjust water
resdistribution system besides the augmentation of water tankers. But
sources feel the contingency plan cannot succeed unless Chennaites also
come forward to conserve water and follow rain water harvesting. More
than that, the rain gods need to shower their blessings on the city,
they said.