Chennai: In a major push to meet the growing water demand in north Chennai and the city’s suburbs, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) will set up a 400mld desalination plant at Minjur.Now, infrastructure for a 100mld desalination plant exists in the area but has remained non-operational amid court litigation. As a result, areas including Tiruvottiyur, Manali and Madhavaram have had to rely on borewells and private water tankers. The new project, estimated to cost ₹4,800 crore, will be complemented by a ₹500-crore pipeline and pumping station project in Avadi to augment water supply to neighbouring areas.CMWSSB will also take up drinking water and sewerage infrastructure improvement work worth ₹236 crore in Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam, Egmore and other parts of the city. The work will include replacement of old pipelines and construction of new pumping stations to improve last-mile supply.The announcements were made by chief minister C Joseph Vijay in the state assembly on Wednesday. Officials said the new desalination plant would come up near Minjur as part of an expansion of the existing facility. “The existing plant will be scaled up to 100mld and the additional 400mld plant will cater to the entire north Chennai and Avadi belt. If southern areas require water during an emergency, the desalinated water can also be diverted through the upcoming ring main pipeline,” an official said.CMWSSB will expedite the proposed Perur desalination plant, which is expected to cater to the ECR, OMR and Tambaram areas. However, water experts have raised concerns over setting up anoth er desalination plant and called for greater focus on sustainable water management. J Saravanan, hydrologist and team lead of the Chennai Basin Water Security Plan, said his team had suggested sustainable measures including desilting and improving the storage capacity of 4,000 water bodies in Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai districts.“Rainwater runoff generated in urban areas must be captured for groundwater recharge, while larger water bodies should be interconnected to create bigger reservoirs. Further, if we recycle and reuse the 1,200mld of sewage generated by Chennai and adjoining areas, it can provide much-needed integrated water management in the Chennai basin. These measures will also help with flood management, water security and climate resilience. All this can be achieved at half the cost of a 400mld desalination plant. Chennai needs sustainable solutions rather than more desalination projects,” he said.
