The Hindu 29.04.2013
Tanks on the streets, 3,000 litres full
More such Metrowater facilities are being added and existing ones being repaired.
As part of its measures to meet the water demand this summer, Chennai Metrowater is setting up street tanks for which water from borewells is being sourced, on a pilot basis.
The water agency is implementing such measures as part of a contingency plan to cope with water shortage. Water release from the Veeranam tank, another vital source that augments city supply, was recently suspended due to dipping water level. As the storage now stands at 67 million cubic feet against the tank’s capacity of 1,465 mcft, less than 10 cubic feet per second is being released.
With Krishna water also suspended so that repair work can be carried out in the canal that transports water to the city, the reservoirs are fast drying up.
Areas across the city are dotted with new tanks that are supplied with water from borewells fitted with suction pipes and motors. These structures replace the hand pumps in these localities. The water agency is in the process of installing tanks sourcing water from borewells in 75 locations across 15 zones.
Instead of using the hand pumps, residents can fetch water from the tanks that would be filled with water twice a day with submersible pumps. The street tanks each have a capacity of 3,000 litres. The water agency has currently identified five locations falling under every area office.
Though several of the added areas have similar means to supply groundwater, many such facilities in the city were not being used. The water agency is now repairing and also adding new structures to cater to the water needs of the residents. In Ambattur, structures to provide water are being installed at places, including Venkatapuram and Kallikuppam.
Sources said that the spots were selected based on the groundwater yield and demand for water in the area. Locations where piped supply is not sufficient were also selected for such street supply.
Metrowater is also in the process of repairing 1,100 hand pumps and providing an additional 2,039 hand pumps to overcome the shortage during summer.
