CHENNAI: At a time when monsoon is picking pace and there are forecasts of heavy rainfall in November and December, the Buckingham Canal has turned into a dumpyard, full of dredged soil from the Ennore Creek, affecting water flow.
TNIE visited the spot on Wednesday and saw large dumps of black slimy soil, filled with giant oyster shells, which were once the indicator species of the Ennore estuary, covering a substantial area of the canal. The stretch, which runs from the creek to Palaverkadu, plays an important role in flood mitigation in Kosasthalaiyar River basin.
How did soil end up here?
The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CWSSB) has been carrying out dredging at the creek to lay underwater pipeline to ferry treated water from the 45-MLD Tertiary Treatment and Reverse Osmosis (TTRO) plant at Kodungaiyur to industries at Manali-Ennore corridor. As per the original plan, the pipeline was to be built across the creek with the help of stilts or pillars without affecting the hydraulic flow of water.
However, the PWD did not grant permission, following which, the CWSSB decided to go underwater. The Union Environment Ministry, while granting Coastal Regulation Zone clearance, detailed specific conditions which says, “The project work will not affect marine/ creek environment during construction and operational phases and there are no blockages and free flow of water is maintained in the canal/creek during the process of laying of pipelines.” This condition now seems to be violated.
When TNIE visited the spot, a PWD assistant engineer was seen urging contractors engaged by metro water to clear the blockage. “Firstly, dumping dredged soil in the canal is a violation. On top of it, metro water is not removing blockage despite appeals. Since the past 20 days, not even 10m of the 250m of canal where the soil has been dumped was cleared.
At this pace, it would take several weeks to restore the canal. If it rains heavy, there would be flooding,” he said. The pipeline project is being executed by a company named BGR, along with Sattva Engineering. Suresh, deputy general manager of BGR said, they were doing their best to clear the area.
Meanwhile, T Prabhushankar, Executive Director of Chennai Metro Water, said, “An inquiry has been launched to check violations. If so, the contractor would be penalised accordingly. As an immediate measure, whatever dredged material is dumped will be removed.” Officials added that the pipeline project was crucial as it would reduce fresh water consumpt ion by industries considerably.
Officials said the pipeline project was crucial as it would reduce fresh water consumption by industries considerably. A total of 63 MLD of secondary treated sewage from STPs at Kodungaiyur will be taken to
produce 45 MLD of treated water through the Ultra Filtration System which will be supplied to the industries, power plants and institutions in Manali-Minjur corridor, Manali Ennore Corridor in North Chennai. The rejects and backwash effluent from the Ultra Filtration system will be blended and disposed into Buckingham canal.
WATER DEMAND ASSESSMENT
The work of demand assessment from industries in North Chennai was entrusted to M/s ITCOT Consultancy and Services Ltd and after a detailed survey, they have furnished the anticipated
water demand