CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater is planning to float the tender for a new 150 MLD (million litres a day) desalination plant by August 31. The plant would be ready in the next two years, according to a Metrowater official. “Drought is being expected every three years. As a result, the government is planning two desalination plants within the next couple of years,” the official said.
The 400 MLD desalination plant in Nemmeli is likely to be taken up soon as efforts are on to prepare a detailed project report. This would mean the city, which is expanding, will have 750 MLD of water from desalination plants in the next couple of years.
Meanwhile, the city’s water supply will be affected with the loss of 100 MLD of water for a day from the Kattupulli desalination plant at Minjur, which is undergoing emergency maintenance work. The city is being supplied with around 430 MLD of water from the plant and the one-day maintenance work from August 10 (10am) to August 11 (10am) will result in the city getting around 350 MLD of water in that period.
It is learnt that piped water supply to Madhavaram, Manali, Tiruvottriyur, Ernavoor, Kathivakkam, Patel Nagar, Radhakrishnan Nagar, Kodungaiyur, Kannadasan Nagar, MKB Nagar and Vyasarpadi will be hit.
Interestingly, Metrowater is relying only on desalination plants and groundwater to quench the city’s thirst.
All four reservoirs supplying water to the city have nearly dried up with Poondi and Chembarambakkam having only dead storage. Chembarambakkam has 75 million cubic feet of water (mcft). The water is being sucked out by a small channel for extraction. “We may be able to get 325 MLD of water from dead storage,” sources added. Meanwhile, Poondi has only 19 mcft.
Efforts are also on to tap Eramaiyur quarries at Mudichur.