C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The state should prepare a Urban Water Security Plan to map,
renew and protect water sources both surface and ground water, according to suggestions
made in XIIth five-year plan.
Sources told Express that the suggestions which were provided
to address long-term water security needs of the state also stressed on the
need to implement strategies which include river basin renewal and management, ground water replenishment, creation of water
grids across the state and creation and rehabilitation of water catchment areas
and reservoirs.
Sources said the report also suggested on the need to develop
a system and institutional accountability to periodically monitor and report
groundwater table in all urban local bodies in all cities and towns.
The suggestions also include initiating a mission mode
exercise to map and rehabilitate water bodies in the state.
“Along with this exercise, there is also a need to designate
clear accountability for managing the water bodies. At present, there is
significant overlap in roles for managing water bodies among various agencies
including parastatals like Chennai Metro water, public work departments and urban
local bodies and these needs to be corrected on priority,” sources said.
Interestingly,
sources said one of the main goals of the 12th plan is to provide 135
litres per capita per day piped water supply across in all parts of Corporation
of Chennai by 2017. Currently, over a third of the Corporations and
Municipalities are provided with more than 110 litres per capita per day (LPCD)
of water, nearly two-thirds continue to get average to poor supply that needs
to be rectified on priority, the sources said.
Water Supply-Service Goals
• Provision
of 135 LPCD piped water supply across in all parts of Corporation of Chennai by
2017.
• Achievement
of service level benchmark norms for water supply as outlined by Ministry of
Urban Development within all zones of
the core area of Chennai Corporation by 2017 and in the whole of Chennai
Corporation by 2022.
• Shifting
to universal metering and volumetric billing within all zones of the core area
of Chennai Corporation by 2017 and in the whole of Chennai Corporation by 2022
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