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Water Supply

Check-dams to raise water supply

Thursday, 11 February 2010 02:00 administrator
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The Hindu 11.02.2010

Check-dams to raise water supply

K.Lakshmi

Groundwater will be recharged in areas near Araniar, Kosasthalaiyar

CHENNAI: The proposed check-dams across the Araniar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers in Tiruvallur district will help in augmenting water supply to Chennai. They will also help in recharging groundwater in the areas near the rivers, according to officials in the Water Resources Department (WRD).

Of the Rs.550 crore allocated towards artificial recharge in rivers and streams across the State, nearly Rs.48 crore would be utilised by the WRD, Chennai region, towards providing check-dams in the rivers to prevent runoff of rainwater into sea. The locations for establishing facilities were selected using remote sensing technique.

Officials of the WRD said the project would facilitate increase in the water table in six well fields used for city water supply. Work on constructing a check-dam at Paleswaram near Periapalayam across the Araniar river, at a cost of Rs.7.40 crore, would be completed next month.

Provision of three check-dams across the river has been recently approved at a total cost of Rs.12.90 crore. The facilities would come up in Kalpattu, Sengathakulam and Panapakkam, all near Uthukkotai.

A check-dam worth Rs. 3.66 crore would be raised at Vannipakkam near Cholavaram on the Kosasthalaiyar river.

Work on these facilities is expected to commence in April.

The project would be taken up in a phased manner. A check-dam at a cost of Rs.7.50 crore would be provided at A.Reddypalayam near Minjur next year where seawater intrusion is intense, an official said.

Provision of check-dams would help in replenishment of groundwater, which has dropped below 10 m in various locations in Tiruvallur district.

“We are monitoring water level and quality by taking samples from wells within a few km radius before and after the project,” an official said. In Paleswaram, the water table is below 15 m now.

Chennai Metrowater officials, however, said it would take a longer duration for the benefits of check-dams to be realised in most of the well fields as they are located away from the Araniar river.

The average water level in the well fields is below 20 m. About 20 million litres a day are drawn from well fields at Tamaraipakkam, Poondi and Minjur for city supply.

The well field in Panchetti, where drawal was stopped several years ago, could be used again after the completion of the project.

More check-dams must be provided in the Kosasthalaiyar river for better groundwater recharge in the well fields, they said. WRD officials said proposal would be chalked out to provide additional facilities in the Araniar-Kosasthalaiyar basin in the coming years.

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 February 2010 02:12
 

Check-dams to raise water supply

Tuesday, 09 February 2010 02:11 administrator
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The Hindu 09.02.2010

Check-dams to raise water supply

K.Lakshmi

Groundwater will be recharged in areas near Araniar, Kosasthalaiyar

CHENNAI: The proposed check-dams across the Araniar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers in Tiruvallur district will help in augmenting water supply to Chennai. They will also help in recharging groundwater in the areas near the rivers, according to officials in the Water Resources Department (WRD).

Of the Rs.550 crore allocated towards artificial recharge in rivers and streams across the State, nearly Rs.48 crore would be utilised by the WRD, Chennai region, towards providing check-dams in the rivers to prevent runoff of rainwater into sea. The locations for establishing facilities were selected using remote sensing technique.

Officials of the WRD said the project would facilitate increase in the water table in six well fields used for city water supply. Work on constructing a check-dam at Paleswaram near Periapalayam across the Araniar river, at a cost of Rs.7.40 crore, would be completed next month.

Provision of three check-dams across the river has been recently approved at a total cost of Rs.12.90 crore. The facilities would come up in Kalpattu, Sengathakulam and Panapakkam, all near Uthukkotai. A check-dam worth Rs. 3.66 crore would be raised at Vannipakkam near Cholavaram on the Kosasthalaiyar river.

Work on these facilities is expected to commence in April. The project would be taken up in a phased manner. A check-dam at a cost of Rs.7.50 crore would be provided at A.Reddypalayam near Minjur next year where seawater intrusion is intense, an official said.

Provision of check-dams would help in replenishment of groundwater, which has dropped below 10 m in various locations in Tiruvallur district. “We are monitoring water level and quality by taking samples from wells within a few km radius before and after the project,” an official said. In Paleswaram, the water table is below 15 m now.

Chennai Metrowater officials, however, said it would take a longer duration for the benefits of check-dams to be realised in most of the well fields as they are located away from the Araniar river.

The average water level in the well fields is below 20 m. About 20 million litres a day are drawn from well fields at Tamaraipakkam, Poondi and Minjur for city supply.

The well field in Panchetti, where drawal was stopped several years ago, could be used again after the completion of the project. More check-dams must be provided in the Kosasthalaiyar river for better groundwater recharge in the well fields, they said. WRD officials said proposal would be chalked out to provide additional facilities in the Araniar-Kosasthalaiyar basin in the coming years.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 02:13
 

Piped water usage in city dips

Monday, 08 February 2010 10:47 administrator
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The Times of India 08.02.2010

Piped water usage in city dips

Vivek Narayanan, TNN, 8 February 2010, 04:52am IST

CHENNAI: Little drops of water make an ocean, goes the saying. The efforts of the government and NGOs to promote rainwater harvesting have contributed towards reducing the average Chennaiite’s dependence on piped water supply with the per capita consumption falling significantly in 2009. Shortage of rains and insufficient storage in reservoirs also saw the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) reducing piped supply.

Annual average Litres Per Capita Daily (LPCD) in 2009 was 100.24 against a figure of 106.41 LPCD in 2008, a drop of 6.17 LPCD. On a monthly basis, too, the LPCD in 2008 varied from 106.38 in January to 106.79 in December. In January 2009, the consumption was 106.87 LPCD and dropped to 89.61 LPCD in December.
Between January and May 2009, LPCD was around 106 LPCD. Then, it started dropping — to 104, 100 and finally to 89.61 in December. “We reduced the supply to the city from 650 Million Litres per Day (MLD) to 570 MLD. However, rainwater harvesting and other conservation methods seem to have reduced the consumption,” said a senior CMWSSB official.

Usually, consumption is low during winter and high in summer. Though there wasn’t much rain in 2009 until November, consumption levels kept dropping. In June, the LPCD was 104.14, in July 100.54, in August it was 98.35. In 2008, during all these months, the consumption level did not move from 106.

In the case of the number of free lorry supply trips, there has been an increase. In 2008, the average number of trips made by 181 lorries carrying 9,000 litres was 785 and the number of trips by those carrying 6,000 litres was 368.
 
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