Urban News

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Meena said the government is currently buying 90 MLD of water a day from the Minjur desalination plant at an average cost of Rs 48.66 per KL (4.8 paise per litre of water) per day that includes water capacity charges (the cost for the facilities they have provided) as well as water variables (cost of treatment, manpower and chemicals). “On an average, we are buying water at the cost of Rs 15 crore per month,” he said.

To a query on whether this will result in rise in water tariffs for domestic consumers, Meena said currently, the state government is paying more than Rs 100 crore as budgetary support to get the water from the Chennai Water Desalination Limited (CWDL).

He later parried the question by highlighting the difficulties faced by Chennaiites in getting water during the drought and the cost involved to procure water from far away places. But sources feel there may be a hike in water tariff at a later stage.

The Minjur facility has been implemented on a design, build, own, operate and transfer basis by Chennai Water Desalination Limited (CWDL), which is a special purpose vehicle of IVRCL Infrastructures and Project Limited and Befesa Aqua, Spain.

“Currently, Minjur desalination plant has supplied about 3,815 MLD of water to Manali, Madhavaram and Puzhal plants. Initially, of the planned 100 MLD, it was scheduled to supply 15 MLD to under ground tank in Manali plant for distribution to Thiruvotriyur, Kathivakam municipalities and industries, 35 MLD for Madhavaram underground tank  to supply it to Patel Nagar Water Distribution Station and Industries and the remaining to Redhills in Puzhal water treatment plant for distribution to North and parts of Central Chennai,” Meena said.

Interestingly, the 100 MLD Minjur Desalination Plant, which started supplying water from August 12 could supply only 90 MLD. “This is due to presence of silt in the intake chamber of the plant as such the plant could not function to its full capacity,” he said.

He also said there were some problems like power fluctuations which is affecting the regular supply of water to Red Hills, Madhavaram and Manali plants from Minjur. “We are planning a second feeder worth Rs 6 crore to have a regular uninterrupted supply of water,” Meena said.

Currently, of the total 660 MLD of water, 6.5 lakh households in Chennai city are receiving 590 MLD while 35 MLD is supplied to industries and the rest 35 MLD for suburban areas.

To a query on the Nemelli desalination plant, he said the Rs 670-crore plant will be ready by December and the government can get water from the plant at a cheaper cost. “In Nemelli we don’t have to pay cost of capital, as such the water will cost Rs 22 to Rs 23 per KL,” Meena said.

He also said while the Minjur plant is using conventional methodlogy of using cartridge filters in removing ultrafine particles present in filtered seawater in various stages, the Nemelli plant would have state-of-the-art ultra filteration technique and would complete the process in one-go.

Interestingly, the two desalination plants will quench the thirst of Chennaiites but green activists argue that it would also affect the livelihood of fishing communities besides heavily concentrated brine solution discharged into the sea from the desalination plant has the potential to kill marine organisms and cause damage to the marine population. But Meena dispels the fear and says the plant would follow all  specified environmental guidelines.