The State government plans to tap freshwater lakes in the city’s fringes to serve as buffer sources to ensure supply during scarcity.
The department has identified about 30 tanks located in a radius of 25 km that could be tapped to meet drinking water needs of the city. At present, Chennai Metrowater supplies about 600 million litres a day (mld) with water from reservoirs and desalination plants at Nemmeli and Minjur.
Multiple options
Once the lakes are desilted and improved, there will be multiple options to manage water shortage.
“We plan to conduct a detailed survey to see if there are any problems like pollution. The lakes will be improved to supply treated water to the city. We have chosen only those lakes that do not cater to irrigation needs or have a limited ‘ayacut’,” said an official of the Water Resources Department.
Some of the lakes identified are those in Padur near Kelambakkam, Paruthipattu, Alamathi, Pandeswaram and Tirumazhisai in the Poonamallee – Avadi belt and Tiruneermalai. These lakes have a storage capacity between 500 – 1,000 million cubic feet (mcft).
According to estimates by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS), the Chennai metropolitan area’s current water demand is 1,190 mld and this is expected to double by 2030. Finding more buffer sources will help to manage shortage in water supply whenever storage dips in the city’s primary reservoirs.
Residents in the suburbs have expressed their concerns. “We have been urging the State government for decades to improve lakes and tanks and augment water supply to us, but it has never happened,” pointed out S. Ramesh of Tambaram. He wondered how the improvement works for tapping drinking water could be done in a matter of months.
Veeranam tank full
Meanwhile, Metrowater hopes to manage the increased demand this summer with supply from the Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district. With the water released from Mettur dam, the tank’s storage has increased to 1,379 mcft and it will reach its full capacity of 1,465 mcft in two days. This means an assured supply of 180 mld from Veeranam lake till July, officials added.
The Chennai metropolitan area’s current water demand is 1,190 mld and is expected to double by 2030