Water Supply

Chennaiites heading for summer water crisis

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 05:16 administrator

Deccan Chronicle 15.12.2009

Chennaiites heading for summer water crisis

December 15th, 2009

By Our Correspondent

Tags: Chennai, summer, water crisis

Dec. 14: The city is heading for a terrible water crisis coming summer. With the northeast monsoon failing to fill up the city reservoirs, Chennaiites are facing ‘double trouble’ as the city is most unlikely to receive Krishna water from Kandaleru reservoir at least for the next couple of months.

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to close the Kandaleru reservoir for two months to carry out maintenance works in the upstream of Krishna canal, a senior state PWD (public works department) official told this paper, preferring anonymity. The decision is yet to be officially informed, he added.

In fact, water managers here were not surprised wh-en protesters closed the slu-ice gates of Kandaleru res-ervoir two days back in pr-otest against home minister Chidambaram’s statements supporting a separate Telangana state as their Andhra Pradesh counterparts have already kept them posted about the Kandaleru closure. Krishna water was released only on September 15, against the scheduled July 1 owing to maintenance works.

As per the 1983 inter-state water-sharing agreement reached between the two states, Tamil Nadu is entitled to 12 tmcft Krishna water, but this year only 4 tmcft has been realised so far. While 4 tmcft would be released between January and April, the remaining 8 tmcft would be supplied between July and October to help Chennai. With Chembarambakkam, Poondi, Puz-hal and Cholavaram reservoirs, which have a joint full storage capacity of 11.057 tmcft, having only 6.6 tmcft as on date and the higher ev-aporation rate and increased summer consumption, water managers are predicting a tough summer in 2010.

Multi-disciplinary approach needed to manage water

Friday, 11 December 2009 01:20 administrator

The Hindu 11.12.2009

Multi-disciplinary approach needed to manage water

Special Correspondent

Workshop on water problems begins in Udhagamandalam

Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

The secretary, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, R. Vijayakumar, inaugurates a seminar on Water Management in Udhagamandalam on Thursday. –

Udhagamandalam: A two-day workshop on ‘Emerging Issues in Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture in South Asia Region,’ organised jointly by the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRTI) and the Michigan State University, the U.S., got underway here on Thursday.

Inaugurating the workshop, the secretary, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, R. Vijayakumar, stressed the need to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach in water management.

Lamenting that decision making tended to be fragmented, he said that various disciplines should be brought together. Strategies based on good data should be worked out. In the context of climate change, people should anticipate and adapt, he said and added that research and action plans should go hand in hand.

Referring to the recent floods and landslips that occurred here, he said that there should be a proper balance between water retention and run-off. Stating that in Tamil Nadu micro-irrigation was being systematically promoted, Mr. Vijayakumar said that efforts were also on to promote precision agriculture.

The Director, Institute of Water Research, Michigan State University, the U.S., Jon Bartholic, said that while population was increasing the water resources were limited.

Hence ways to ensure better use of water should be evolved.

The Director, International Water Management Institute-TATA Policy Research Programme, Hyderabad, K. Palanisami, said that ground water was over exploited in Punjab and southern parts of India.

Due to climate change the water requirement of crops like maize, groundnut and cotton will go up in course of time. Stating that the benefits of all research should reach the common man, he said that technology transfer should be farmer-friendly and participatory.

Challenges should be converted into opportunities. Rain water harvesting should be encouraged.

The Director, Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, V.N. Sharda, who presided over the function said that water was rapidly becoming a scarce commodity and referred to the apprehension that water shortage will trigger the next World War.

Global level

Water management should be discussed at the globa level. He pointed out that agriculture was taking the lion’s share of the available water and emphasised the need to bring into being better application methods.

The Principal Scientist and Head, CSWCRTI, O.P.S. Khola, welcomed the gathering.

Professor, Michigan State University, Karim M.Maredia, spoke.

The Coordinator of the workshop, D.V. Singh, proposed a vote of thanks.

Last Updated on Friday, 11 December 2009 01:28

Metro water taking action to plug outfalls

Wednesday, 09 December 2009 08:22 administrator

The New Indian Express 09.12.2009

Metro water taking action to plug outfalls

C Shivakumar

CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) on Tuesday said it is taking action to plug 319 outfalls in six waterways of Chennai but denied reports of non-performance of sewage treatment plants under Chennai City River Conservation project.

The engineering director of CMWSSB G Elangovan told Express that the board is taking necessary action to arrest these discharges by carrying out various improvement works.

“We are increasing the pumping capacity and sewage collection system capacity wherever required,” Elangovan said, adding that sudden increase in population after the project was formulated has put pressure on pipes, where the sewage flow as reached the utmost level.

Elangovan said the final treated effluent by sewage treatment plants into the water courses conform to the standard prescribed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution control Board. The treated effluent is meeting the design standards of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS) and focal coliform.

The initial Rs 1,700 crore CCRP project, which was later modified to Rs 1,200 crore following reduction of about Rs 500 crore in the component for rehabilitation and resettlement of slum dwellers living on the banks of waterways, was to plug the outfalls in Adyar River, Cooum River, Buckingham Canal, Otteri Nullah, Captain Cotton Canal and Mambalam drain and prevent untreated sewer from reaching the waterways.

“All the works have been completed and commissioned. Because of the completion of these works the sewer overflows have been considerably reduced and diverted to the sewage treatment plants. Further, the sewage treatment plant capacity also increased from 222 million litres per day (mld) to 486 mld,” he said.

Elangovan said the project consists of 16 packages. “In certain components of four packages, certain defects such as joint leaks and sinking of manholes have been noticed at 41 locations. Since these works are within defect liability period, the Board is attending the defects at the risk and cost of contractor,” he said.

“So far defects at 19 locations have been attended and defects at remaining 22 locations are being attended. Notwithstanding these defects, the systems are functioning and the sewage is being conveyed to the concerned pumping stations and treatment plant for regular treatment,” the director said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 December 2009 08:24

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