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Friday, Jul 03, 2009
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Rs.33-crore plan to strengthen reservoirs

Special Correspondent

— File photo

Repair works on Poondi reservoir to be taken up.

CHENNAI: A Rs.33-crore proposal has been drawn up to strengthen reservoirs supplying water to Chennai. It has been sent to Chennai Metrowater for funding, Public Works Minister Durai Murugan told the Assembly on Thursday.

Pointing out that there were problems of leakage in the Poondi reservoir, the Minister said grouting needed to be carried out. As water from the reservoirs was fully utilised for city supply, the Public Works Department could not execute the work from its outlay for maintenance.

Therefore, it sent the proposal to Metrowater, he said, answering queries on removal of silt from the reservoirs.

Ruling out the possibility of removal of silt, Mr. Durai Murugan said that in order to store more water, the level of the three reservoirs had been increased. In the case of Poondi, it was raised from 33 ft to 35 ft. As a result, the storage went up from 2,750 million cubic feet to 3,231 mcft.

In the Chembarambakkam and Red Hills tanks, the levels were enhanced from 22 ft and 19.2 ft to 24 ft and 21.2 ft respectively.

Water from a number of tanks, including Sriperumbudur, was also being tapped for city supply, he said.

He sought the cooperation of political parties to remove encroachments from around tanks and other waterbodies.

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