Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced a slew of measures to meet Greater Chennai’s drinking water requirements, in addition to initiatives to improve roads.
Making a suo motu statement in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said two desalination plants — one at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore at Nemmeli and another at Pattipulam would be set up.
A new 150-million-litres-per day (mld) plant would be set up at Nemmeli in 10.50 acres, adjacent to an existing plant. The project would benefit 6.46 lakh people living in Alandur, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Pallikaranai, Madipakkam, Sholinganallur, Karapakkam, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, Semmencherry, Uthandi and Okiyam-Thoraippakkam.
Apart from this, Pattipulam near the city would also get a 200 mld plant in four years.
The capacity of this plant could be increased to 400 mld, the CM said, adding that similar projects would be implemented at a cost of `303.78 crore in the current year in Idayanchavadi, Sadayankuppam, Kadapakkam, Manali, Soorapattu, Kathirvedu, Puthagaram, Puzhal, Pallikaranai, Kottivakkam, Chinnasekkadu, Muhalivakkam, Perungudi and Palavakkam to provide 3.47 lakh people with piped drinking water. Besides, infrastructure works for drainage facilities, costing `121 crore, would be implemented in Soorapattu, Kathirvedu, Nolambur and Muhalivakkam, to benefit 80,000 residents. Also, 1.10 lakh power-saving street lamps would be installed at a cost of `300 crore in two years.