The Times of India 01.07.2011
In the pipeline: Salem water for city
CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has identified a new water source in Thoppur near Salem that can supply 15 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) water to Chennai.
This is being done to meet the expected growth in demand for water in the future. The water will be transferred to the city in three phases of 5 tmcft each.
The 15 tmcft of water will help supply water to over 63 lakh people in the city. Consultants have submitted an interim report to the government and the project will be sanctioned after the full report is submitted by the consultant appointed by CMWSSB.
With the water demand in Chennai expected to shoot up to 2,248 million litres per day (mld) by 2026 and the availability pegged at 1,615 mld, it is vital to find additional water sources.
Apart from setting up two desalination plants in the suburbs, each of which can provide 100 mld, and a proposal to set up a 200 mld desalination plant, the government is also trying to find new water sources.
In the first half of 2009, the CMWSSB appointed a consultant to identify new water sources for Chennai.
They were given 15 months to submit a report, specifying the new source and the feasibility of laying pipes from the water source to Chembarambakkam or Poondi lakes.
The consultant has submitted an interim report to CMWSSB and pointed out two new sources. "One is on the Bangalore highway and the other near Salem," said a senior CMWSSB official.
The one near Bangalore was rejected as Metrowater would have to take a lot of road cut permissions to lay pipes to bring water to the city.
The CMWSSB is planning to bring the water to Mettur and then pump into a pipeline to Chennai.
"The total distance is around 265 kilometres. We will have to take permissions from collectors and other departments to lay the pipes. It will take some time before we bring the water to the city," said the official.
Surface and ground water account for the main sources of supply to CMWSSB. While Poondi, Cholavaram, Porur, Veeranam and Chembarambakkam lakes and Krishna river are the surface sources of water, Minjur,Poondi and Tamaraipakkam constitute the groundwater sources.
"The Krishna water scheme was planned in the 1970s keeping in view the demand after 30 years. Similarly, we are foreseeing the demand after 30 years and trying to identify water sources," said the official.
At present, 760 mld of water is supplied to the city, almost three times the quantity supplied in 1978 (240 mld).
The water treatment capacity today is 1,398 mld, compared to 182 mld in 1978. The number of Metrowater connections has increased from 1,16,000 in 1978 to 4,97,811 today.
This is being done to meet the expected growth in demand for water in the future. The water will be transferred to the city in three phases of 5 tmcft each.
The 15 tmcft of water will help supply water to over 63 lakh people in the city. Consultants have submitted an interim report to the government and the project will be sanctioned after the full report is submitted by the consultant appointed by CMWSSB.
With the water demand in Chennai expected to shoot up to 2,248 million litres per day (mld) by 2026 and the availability pegged at 1,615 mld, it is vital to find additional water sources.
Apart from setting up two desalination plants in the suburbs, each of which can provide 100 mld, and a proposal to set up a 200 mld desalination plant, the government is also trying to find new water sources.
In the first half of 2009, the CMWSSB appointed a consultant to identify new water sources for Chennai.
They were given 15 months to submit a report, specifying the new source and the feasibility of laying pipes from the water source to Chembarambakkam or Poondi lakes.
The consultant has submitted an interim report to CMWSSB and pointed out two new sources. "One is on the Bangalore highway and the other near Salem," said a senior CMWSSB official.
The one near Bangalore was rejected as Metrowater would have to take a lot of road cut permissions to lay pipes to bring water to the city.
The CMWSSB is planning to bring the water to Mettur and then pump into a pipeline to Chennai.
"The total distance is around 265 kilometres. We will have to take permissions from collectors and other departments to lay the pipes. It will take some time before we bring the water to the city," said the official.
Surface and ground water account for the main sources of supply to CMWSSB. While Poondi, Cholavaram, Porur, Veeranam and Chembarambakkam lakes and Krishna river are the surface sources of water, Minjur,Poondi and Tamaraipakkam constitute the groundwater sources.
"The Krishna water scheme was planned in the 1970s keeping in view the demand after 30 years. Similarly, we are foreseeing the demand after 30 years and trying to identify water sources," said the official.
At present, 760 mld of water is supplied to the city, almost three times the quantity supplied in 1978 (240 mld).
The water treatment capacity today is 1,398 mld, compared to 182 mld in 1978. The number of Metrowater connections has increased from 1,16,000 in 1978 to 4,97,811 today.
