Vedanta Ltd. has proposed to step up the quantum of desalinated water sourced from South Ganga Water Technologies (P) Limited (SGWT) for its Sterlite Copper unit at Thoothukudi.
Thoothukudi has a lone desalination plant, which is operated by SGWT. The unit started with an installed capacity of 3 million litres per day (MLD) in 2013-14 and expanded to 7 MLD.
The unit has been supplying desalinated water to Sterlite Copper since 2013-14. “We aim to significantly increase the quantum of desalinated water sourced from SGWT,” said an official of the company. The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) is responsible for drawing water from local river sources and allocating it for various applications such as domestic consumption, agriculture, utilities and industries in Thoothukudi region. The entire water supply infrastructure is installed and operated by the TWAD board.
Also, Sterlite has a contract with SIPCOT for water supply for industrial consumption. The firm supplies water to all industries within the SIPCOT complex in Thoothukudi. SIPCOT has a water purchase pact with TWAD which enables the former to ensure supply to firms in the area for industrial use. “Although the sanctioned quantity by SIPCOT to Sterlite Copper was 3.5 million gallons per day (MGD), its actual consumption never exceeded 2.5 MGD,” the Sterlite official claimed.