The Hindu 04.01.2010
Metrowater gearing up to cater to new areas
K. Lakshmi
— Photo: R.Shivaji Rao
Expanding network: Workers engaged in the construction of an overhead tank at Ramakrishna Nagar for the Porur water supply scheme.
CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater is set to reassess the water requirement of the city and look out for additional resources if needed to cater to residents of areas to be merged with Chennai Corporation.
The water agency is in the process of implementing schemes to provide water supply and underground sewerage network in some of the 59 urbanised local bodies identified for expansion of network.
Metrowater officials pointed out that though the piped supply is now restricted to the Corporation limit and a few adjoining suburbs, the water agency has jurisdiction over the Chennai metropolitan area as per the CMWSSB Act.
“We will expedite work in the local bodies that would come under direct control of Metrowater. We are already supplying 45 Million Litres (ML) of water to them as bulk supply,” said an official.
On an average, suburban residents now receive 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd). Once the network is provided, it would be increased more than three-fold to 135 lpcd. Of the nine municipalities to be merged with Chennai, Valasaravakkam already has water supply and underground sewerage network. The demand is expected to be 200 million litres a day (mld) in these municipalities.
Among the eight town panchayats, the water supply scheme in Porur is nearing completion. The entire area would get piped supply in May. The quantum of supply would be increased from 0.6 ML to 1.1 ML. The network is designed to cater to the projected demand of 14 mld in the next 30 years, the official said. Schemes are in various stages of implementation in other municipalities and town panchayats. Detailed project reports are being prepared for 25 village panchayats.
Identification of new resource
The projected demand for water in the Chennai metropolitan area is expected to shoot up to 2,248 mld by 2026, whereas the availability of resources would be only 1,615 mld.
In a bid to bridge the gap between demand and availability of resources, Metrowater has appointed Shah Technical Consultants to identity new source yielding 15 thousand million cubic feet of water in a year. The private consultant would have to submit detailed project report comprising information about location, cost of transmitting water and route of pipeline in 15 months.
Metrowater is also setting up eight smaller capacity sewerage treatment plants in areas, including Tiruvottiyur.
Residents would have to pay water and sewerage tax as part of the property tax. Issues pertaining to deposit amount paid to the local bodies for implementation of projects and funding for the remaining schemes would be discussed, the officials said.
