CHENNAI: Water managers in the city are looking to tap every available source, including the Porur lake and stone quarries to quench the people’s thirst during summer.
As the reservoirs supplying water to the city are fast drying up, Metrowater is planning to treat the water in Porur Lake and supply it for drinking.
A Chennai Metrowater spokesman told Express that a temporary water treatment plant had been set up in Porur lake to treat the water and supply it to the city through the Veeranam pipeline which passes through the lake.
Before that, Metrowater had to test the water and ensure it was potable. “We will be sending the samples to King Institute to ensure that the water is potable,” the spokesman said. “The idea is to tap 4 million litres (MLD) of water a day from Porur lake. The water in the lake could last 100 days,” added the spokesman.
Similarly efforts are on to tap the stone quarries for ensuring water supply to the city. “We are planning to tap 31 stone quarries in and around the city. These include 22 stone quarries in Mangadu, three in Thiruneermalai, three in Pammal and three in Nanmangalam,” said the spokesman. “The samples are being tested to ensure that they are potable before being sent to Chenmbarambakkam treatment plant,” he said.
“This would ensure an additional 30 MLD of water for the city,” the spokesman said.
With Veeranam and Cholavaram reservoirs drying up, the city now has only 1.7 million cubic feet (mcft) of water left in the three reservoirs. The only hope now is Krishna water, whose supply could stop anytime now depending upon the dry conditions in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Water managers are trying out every possible option to ensure the supply of water.
Some rains were predicted this month but that failed to happen, adding to the crisis in the city.
The city is also reliant on the two desalination plants in Nemelli and Minjur which supply 200 MLD. The other source is water from the Neyveli Lignite Corporation mines and groundwater from farm wells. And if the groundwater begins depleting then the city has to gear up for a severe water crisis.