CHENNAI: Preliminary works have begun for setting up a 400 million litres per day (MLD) seawater desalination plant at Minjur at a cost of Rs 4,800 crore, with Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi inspecting a possible site for the project on Friday.
The project was announced by CM Vijay in the Assembly on September 2 to meet the growing drinking water requirements of north Chennai, Avadi and Ponneri and ensure a reliable supply during droughts. During the inspection, Bedi reviewed the ongoing site-selection works and directed officials to expedite the preparatory activities and take steps to implement the project at the earliest.
The proposed plant is expected to augment Chennai’s water supply infrastructure and benefit around 27 lakh people in north Chennai and surrounding areas.
Officials said the site identification will be followed by preliminary works including obtaining statutory and environmental clearances, preparing DPR, conducting marine and other technical studies, finalising tender documents and the contract-awarding process.