Metro Water looks to well fields to quench the thirst of Chennai

Officials prepare contingency plan for the city

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

As the summer is at its peak and the storage at the reservoirs are slowly dwindling, Chennai Metro Water is now trying to augment additional water from well fields besides erecting additional water tanks to quench the thirst of the city.

Metro Water sources told Express that Metro Water is trying to procure 15 MLD of additional water from Poondi and Tamaraipakkam wellfieldbesides getting additional 20 MLD of water from Neyveli acquifer and 55 MLD from other sources from Neyveli.

Not only that, plans are also on to repair existing water tanks. Metro water sources said that currently, there are 9,263 water tanks which are in existence of which 5,928 are being used. The remaining tanks would be repaired within a month.Interestingly, there are also plans to erect 1,400 new tanks all over the city.

Even the India Mark II pumps set up in various streets across the city for drinking purposes are being scrutinized. Currently, there are 3,102 Mark II pumps of which 1,098 are under repair. It is believed these pumps will be repaired before May 15.Interestingly, an additional 2,039 India Mark II pumps will be fixed across the city.

Metro water sources said that the focus is also on the 42 urban local bodies that have been newly added under the Chennai Corporation. Currently, Metro Water provides 80 MLD of water in these areas. Of this 30 MLD is through the ground water. With the scorching summer and lack of rains, if the ground water gets depleted, Metro Water has has plans to erect 100 more borewells.

Currently, Metro Water provides 831 MLD of water to the city. With the inauguration of Nemelli desalination plant, the southern part of the city is now getting 100 MLD of water besides Minjur is supplying 100 MLD of water. The contingency plan of Metro water is to ensure that Chennaites don’t go thirsty during the summer, Metro Water sources said.

  

Currently the four reservoirs – Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam have only 35 per cent of total water available for the city during the summer.