Chennai is facing a water crisis next summer, with rainfall deficit in the city standing at 53 per cent this season and only two weeks are left for the end of the year. While some hopes are pinned on the developing Cyclone Phethai that is expected to hit the coast between north Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it is feared a good deal of rainfall will be lost as runoff. Further the rains must hit the catchment areas of key reservoirs to ensure some of the city’s water needs are met.
While the city’s water managers will no doubt find costly and unsustainable ways to meet water requirements next summer, it is well past the time for Chennai and other metros in India to look at sustainable ways to make the best use of what rainwater is available and to reduce needs. This will require planning, stricter implementation of rules and responsibility to be taken up by citizens. For one, rainwater harvesting was made mandatory in the state. These structures are relatively inexpensive to construct and if maintained properly, can help meet at least some water needs.
However, implementation and monitoring remain poor. Mindless concretisation and poor maintenance of existing tanks have also ensured that water is not saved to maximum capacity and when stored is not able to recharge groundwater levels. The state must also look to reviving local tanks and lakes in a systematic manner. Further, the more concretisation in cities, the more rainwater is lost to runoff. Meanwhile, while many of the poorer sections of the city have limited water supply, those who can afford to must look at recycling water to meet at least some needs.
These concerns are not new and the possible solutions have been discussed for years, however, the urgency to act continues to be missing unless and until the state is faced with real crises. Cape Town’s experience this year should have acted as a wake-up call. Instead, despite all the progress and ‘development’ made over the years, like our ancestors, we continue to stare at the clouds hoping for a miracle.