The New Indian Express                 30.05.2013

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after the inauguration of Hogenakkal Drinking Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Scheme via video conference from Chennai on Wednesday | EPS

It is due to the untiring effort of the AIADMK government that helped the long-cherished dream of the people of two districts - the Hogenakkal Drinking Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Scheme - turn a reality today, said Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Inaugurating the scheme through video conferencing from Chennai on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that though the initiative faced many hurdles over the years, she removed one after the other whenever she was in power and saw to it that the scheme was launched.

Recalling the progress and difficulties that hampered the speedy implementation of the scheme Jayalalithaa said that the AIADMK-government led by then Chief Minister MGR in 1986 conceived a `120-crore plan for the Hogenakkal Compreshensive Drinking Water Supply.

After the AIADMK came to power in 1992, the proposal for the scheme was redrafted with a revised estimate of Rs 350 crore. However it could not take off due to lack of financial support.

However, Jayalalithaa, who was fully committed to quench the thirst of the people of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri with pure and safe drinking water, during her second term, again drew another proposal for the scheme at a cost of Rs 1,005 crore and it was to be funded by the Japan International Cooperative Bank.

The proposal being okayed by the Centre in 2005 and the Japan bank also agreed to fund the initiative. Later, in 2008, the foundation stone was laid for the Hogenakkal Drinking Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Scheme. But, the scheme again faced problems as the then BJP Government in Karnataka opposed the move and several agitations to block the scheme was staged in that state.

Following the resistance from Karnataka, the AIADMK also staged counter agitations condemning the Karnataka’s bid to stop the scheme on March 3, 2008.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Assembly on  March 27 and April 1, the same year, adopted a resolution seeking Central Government’s intervention to stop the Karnataka Government’s move against the scheme.

But M Karunanidhi, who was the Chief Minister then, informed the House on April 4, 2008, that the ongoing works on the drinking water scheme was being suspended.

Jayalalithaa questioned the suo motu announcement of Karunanidhi on suspension of works in the House on April 8, 2008 and sought a debate on the issue.

As the Speaker refused permission for a debate, Jayalalithaa  said that the DMK government led by Karunanidhi did not have enough courage to execute the project. However, if people voted her to power, she would see to it that the scheme was implemented.

When she returned to power again in 2011, only 18 per cent of the works were completed against the stipulated 50 per cent at that time.  She immediately put pressure on officials to expedite the works as a result of which the project was commissioned today.

A group of women residents, M.Theivanai, S Santhi, G Mangammal, A Vijaya, S Pachiyammal, S Janaki and J Janaki, were among the first lot to get water through the scheme at the venue in Dharmapuri.

The Hindu                 30.05.2013

City pins all its hopes on Krishna water

Release from AP to begin next month; officials say this will help tide over mounting crisis.

There may just be light at the end of the tunnel for the city’s households, currently reeling under a severe water shortage.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) is pinning its hopes on the release of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh in mid-June to tide over the crisis in the city.

Krishna water, released from Kandaleru reservoir, is crucial for Chennaiites, particularly at a time when the city’s four reservoirs have only 20 per cent of their total storage capacity.

Last year too, water discharge from the neighbouring state saved the city from scarcity for over nine months, when rains failed.

By mid-June, the city will get 300-400 cubic feet of water per second (cusec). One cusec is 28.3 litres of water flowing every second. If the volume of Krishna water promised to the city is released, Chennai will have enough daily water supply to meet its present needs, WRD officials said.

At present, the Kandaleru reservoir has 12.77 tmcft of water. “We can draw nearly 5 tmcft, after which the reservoir will hit its dead storage limit,” said an official.

The release of Krishna water to the city was suspended last month, to repair the damaged portion of the Kandaleru-Poondi canal in Ubbalamadugu, Andhra Pradesh. From last June, when supply began, until last month, nearly 4.7 thousand million cubic feet of water (tmcft) had been provided. This went a long way in helping maintain storage in the city’s reservoirs for several months, officials said.

Sources at WRD said that work is on at a fast pace to make temporary arrangement to bring in the water as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, authorities are drawing every last drop they can from the city’s reservoirs, to ensure drinking water supply to residents. WRD officials said the reservoirs in Poondi, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam had only enough to contribute to drinking water supply until the end of July. Krishna water, and rains in June, they said would hopefully help with the shortage.

Chennai Metrowater is also pumping out water from the Cholavaram reservoir, which has already hit its dead storage limit. About 10 million cubic feet of water available in the parched water body is being drawn using pumps and diverted to the Red Hills reservoir.

“We did not want to waste even the little water available. The reservoirs are losing five million cubic feet of water per day due to the harsh sun,” said an official. Even this exercise is set to end in a few days, once Cholavaram is rendered bone dry.

The last time storage in all four water bodies dipped drastically, was in 2004.

Residents of several areas are already encountering problems of dwindling water supply or receive water only once in two days.

“I’m waiting for the supply to resume after two days. I had to manage with the little water available in my sump as well as packaged drinking water. If the authorities tell us when piped water supply will be provided, we can at least store some for future use,” said S. Rani, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, Adyar.