Chennai’s severe water crisis has not spared the construction industry. Being a water-intensive sector, nearly 50-60% of construction activity in and around the city has come to a grinding halt in the last couple of weeks.
This has also put the livelihood of several construction workers in jeopardy. As groundwater levels are dipping at an alarming rate in several areas, sourcing water for construction has become a challenge. R. Sivakumar, State secretary, Builders’ Association of India, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, said water was needed at every stage of a building. Private tankers are unable to offset the gap.
“Construction activity in places along Rajiv Gandhi Salai and East Coast Road has been affected, as they are heavily dependent on private tankers. The cost of a 12-kl load of water has jumped to a minimum of ₹4,000,” he added.
Added burden
Suresh Krishn, president-elect, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association, said work was being carried out on building projects away from the city, such as Vandalur and Kelambakkam, where the groundwater table was relatively better. Projects had already slowed down because of the searing heat in the past few months, he added.
M. Britto Francis, president, Chennai Southern Builders’ Association, said expenditure for water had doubled from 2% to 4% in recent weeks. This would affect allied industries. Homebuyers will be burdened, as the deadline will be pushed by two or three months.
