Chennai – City water sources augmented by Mettur water?
The Public Works Department (PWD) has some good news for the drinking water starved Chennai public. It has approved the project to bring water from the Cauvery to be drawn from the Mettur reservoir. The project duration will be long as fresh pipes (of 390 km length) have to be laid from Mettur to Chennai.
Officials estimate that
about 15 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water can be drawn every year
from the Stanley reservoir in the Mettur Dam. Chennai’s requirement is 1 tmcft
per month.
Plans are being checked out
the route and the amenities to store the excess water from Mettur during
‘surplus months’.
This project will bring
relief to the current position:
Water levels have dwindled
in the major 4 reservoirs in Chennai – Chembarambakkam, Red Hills, Sholavaram,
and Poondi. The daily water supply has come down from 831 to 575 million liters
per day (MLD). Veeranam tank in Cuddalore, 235 km from Chennai, augments by
supplying 180 MLD. supply from the river Krishna (Andhra Pradesh) has been
erratic.
The major point to be noted
is that Karnataka should ensure regular flow to the Mettur reservoir.
