CHENNAI: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had submitted in February (this year) a detailed final draft report on strengthening Chennai’s water supply and flood control. However, the state government is yet to take a decision on implementing key proposals outlined in the 983-page report due to financial constraints.
A senior official from the Water Resources Department (WRD) told TNIE that the state government had requested JICA to conduct a detailed study to gain perspective on flood mitigation and drinking water shortages in Chennai and surrounding areas. As part of the study, which was done free of cost, JICA carried out a survey in four districts – Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram –before submitting the final draft.
According to the official, Chennai’s six reservoirs – Cholavaram, Chembarambakkam, Poondi, Redhills, Kannankottai Thervoy Kandigai, and Veeranam – currently have a combined storage capacity of 13.222 tmcft.
However, the annual demand for drinking and industrial water is already 22 tmcft and is expected to rise to 32 tmcft by 2035 due to population growth. To close this gap and build flood-resilient urban infrastructure, JICA has proposed measures such as increasing the storage capacity of existing reservoirs, improving water conveyance systems, and interlinking suitable waterbodies. The plan aims to create an additional storage capacity of 20.50 tmcft to ensure sufficient drinking water supply, the official added.
The proposal also suggests conserving rainwater for the years with lesser rainfall by increasing storage capacity in the upstream areas of Chennai.
An official said, “For the financial year 2025-26, the state government has allocated Rs 9,460 crore to the WRD. We have planned to build small dams, check dams, and essential infrastructure in river basins across the state. Therefore, there is no scope to fund new projects this year.”
Though some institutions, including JICA, have offered loans for WRD projects, the state is hesitant to borrow, the official added.