Urban News

The Hindu 18.08.2009

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka stick to stand on hydro power projects

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Even as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka stuck to their respective positions on the Cauvery Hydro Power Project proposals, the Centre, after holding a meeting with all Cauvery basin States, on Monday announced that one more meeting would be held in Bangalore by November-end.

[The project envisages the establishment of four power plants, two each in Tamil Nadu (Rasimanal: 360 MW and Hogenakkal:120 MW) and Karnataka (Shivasamudram: 345 MW and Mekadatu: 400 MW) by the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC)].

“Some progress made”

Union Power Secretary H.S. Brahma told reporters: “Definitely, we made some progress today. We would like to discuss further details of these four projects.” Describing the meeting as a confidence-building measure, he called upon the States to trust each other so that pending issues could be resolved.

He expressed the hope that by November end or early December, issues concerning the two components – Shivasamudram and Hogenakkal – would be resolved.

Of the four components, only Shivasamudram had been cleared by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry, Central Water Commission and the Central Electricity Authority.

In respect of Hogenakkal, about 800 hectares would be submerged, most of which belonged to the government.

Mr. Brahma suggested the formation of an oversight committee for the project execution.

Tamil Nadu’s Principal Secretary (Public Works) S. Ramasundaram said the State was for the execution of all the plants through the NHPC.

Responding to Mr. Brahma’s suggestion for resolving the issues bilaterally in the wake of the goodwill generated by the unveiling of statues of Thiruvalluvar and Sarvajna in Bangalore and Chennai, Mr. Ramasundaram said the discussions at the level of Chief Ministers of both States could be held if Karnataka made good the present shortfall of 20 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) in the current irrigation season since June. The Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs in Karnataka were full, he pointed out.

In February, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevail upon Karnataka not to take up the Shivasamduram component unilaterally, pending the notification of the Tribunal’s final award, Mr. Ramasundaram said.

Karnataka’s Principal Secretary (Energy) K. Jairaj expressed the State’s keenness to establish the Shivasamudram plant on its own as the site was entirely within its border and the project did not involve consumptive use of water. “While we strictly adhere to the award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal to ensure that there is no consumptive use of water, we should be allowed to execute the project.”

Karnataka would be “more than willing to provide” whatever oversight mechanisms were required for the project in view of the severe power shortage.

As for other components, Mr. Jairaj said Karnataka was ready to talk about the mode of execution.

Representatives of Kerala and Puducherry attended the meeting.

Deccan Chronicle 17.08.2009

IIT team can desalinate groundwater

Chennai, Aug. 16: The saline groundwater in the city suburbs could be desalinated through a hi-tech but inexpensive technology developed by scientists of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. The technology has been developed following reports that the groundwater table in Adyar, Greenways Road, Gandhi Nagar and Kotturpuram has turned saline because of percolation of seawater.

It was the removal of natural sandbars in the Adyar river mouth that turned the groundwater saline in these areas. Though the sandbars were removed to facilitate the movement of sewage into the sea, this led to the intrusion of seawater into the river.

Prof Sundara Ramaprabhu, head, Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory, told this newspaper that a new and revolutionary technology was available to remove the salt content from the groundwater. “We have developed a nano material with which the salt content could be brought down to the minimum permissible levels prescribed by the competent authority,” said Prof Ramaprabhu.

“Metallic contents, too, could be removed by this technology. We found that the material developed in our laboratory could bring down the salt content from 4,000 microgram per ml to 200 microgram per ml with a single filtration. A couple of additional steps will ensure the total removal of salt from the groundwater,” he said.

Prof Ramaprabhu refused to divulge the name of the material. “We have filed an application for patenting the product. So, it is not advisable to reveal more than this,” he said.

The technology can be scaled up to a major plant to remove the salt content. “Because of the groundwater turning saline, people have started using Metro water even for chores like gardening and washing clothes. The water filtered by the new technology could be used for all domestic purposes except drinking,” he said.

The professor and his team had recently developed a technology for de-polluting Cooum river. The state government authorities have evinced interest in the material and discussions are under way for setting up the first plant in Chennai.