Restoration and to improving storage in 6 water bodies planned by WRD
Posted on: 13/Feb/2020 9:34:39 AM
To rejuvenate and to create additional storage in the lakes in the neighbouring districts, the Water Resources Department or WRD is adopting a different approach now. It is known that the market demand for silt from the water bodies have become less. WRD is also thinking about conveying water for Chennai drinking water needs.
A proposal to restore and improve storage of 6 water bodies in the districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpet and Vellore districts at an estimated cost of Rs 298.38 crores, has been submitted by WRD.
Multiple issues would be addressed like a mismatch between growing water demand and the availability of resources, increase in the number of intense rainfall days and seawater intrusion in the coastal places etc.
De-silting of lakes alone added just 10 percent of the storage capacity and this was according to some officials belonging to the WRD. Point is there were limitations in transporting silt from the lakes and less demand in the market. It was later brought out that with the present demand the storage capacity could be increased to only 700 million cubic feet or mcft.
The height of the bund and weir would be raised by the WRD instead of just de-silting the water bodies so that surplus water would flow out. By this, the storage capacities of the water bodies would be boosted by 30 to 40 %.
The storage capacity of large water bodies in Madurantakam in Chengapet district, Uthiramerur, Thenneri in Kancheepuram district, Dusi-Mamandur in Tiruvannamalai district, Kaveripakkam and Mahendravadi in Vellore district etc would be improved by WRD soon.
