Arrangements to take drinking water from 22 rock quarries to meet Chennai demand
Posted on: 29/Jan/2019 3:38:25 PM
As the present storage capacity in all the water resources supplying to the Chennai Metro City has come down to meet the requirement only for a month, in order to cater to the demand, CMWSSB (Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board has started making immediate elaborate arrangements to take water from 22 rock quarries including Chikkarayapuram.
The capacity of the present major water resources to the Chennai Metro City has been dwindling, CMWSSB and the PWD (Public Works Department) are compelled to look for other water resources to meet the water demand.
The total capacity of the 4 major water resources supplying to the Chennai Metro City, Poondi, Puzhal, Cholavaram, and Chembarambakkam is 11257 million cft.
As on yesterday (Monday, 28th January), the present water capacity was only 1054 million cft. With this, only the demand for a 1-month duration can be met.
Thus, in order to meet the possible acute shortage of drinking water to the Chennai Metro City CMWSSB has been initiating activities to take water from 22 queries including Chikkarayapuram and the agricultural wells.
An official from CMWSSB shared: ‘Pipes have already been laid for a 3 km distance around the 22 quarries located in Chikkarayapuram to the Chembarambakkam water reservoir. The quarries have a total capacity of 1500 million cft of drinking water. The water taken from here will be treated and purified at the Chembarambakkam water reservoir and then distributed to the Chennai Metro City.
Presently, the activity of cleaning the pipelines in the quarries is in progress. Once this is completed, immediate arrangements will be made to take drinking water from here. 650 Million Litres of drinking water is supplied every day to the Chennai Metro City.
180 million litres are taken from the Veeranam Lake. 200 million litres are taken from the 2 desalination plants and 270 million litres are taken from the lakes for a total of 650 million litres is taken for distribution of drinking water across the Chennai Metro City.
In a short while, 30 million litres will be taken daily from the quarries. 120 million litres will be taken daily from the agricultural wells in Thiruvallur district. As sufficient water is available in the present alternative sources of drinking water, there may not be an acute drinking water shortage in the Chennai Metro City.
As on yesterday (Monday, 28th December), only 1065 million ct of water was available in the 4 water resources which will be only for a 1-month requirement in the city!
