Chennai Metrowater will take up various projects in two phases to strengthen the sewer network and plug sewage discharge into the city waterways at a cost of ₹2,371 crore.
A government order, issued on Tuesday, sanctioned the projects for the works to be taken up by Chennai Metrowater along with Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust for the mitigation of sewage flow in the Cooum rivers and Buckingham canal.
The water agency has chalked out both short-term and long-term strategies to arrest sewage outfalls and strengthen the sewer network in the city. It may be recalled that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had announced in the Assembly in July that the city waterways would be restored at a cost of ₹2,371 crore and detailed project report would be prepared for eco-restoration of the waterways.
According to the government order, the works would include strengthening of sewage pumping stations, enlargement of sewer pipelines and monitoring of the quality of the treated sewage discharged from the sewage treatment plants.
Metrowater has now prepared detailed project reports for works worth ₹1,001 crore that would be executed during the first phase. These will include construction of modular sewage treatment plants and intercepting and diverting raw sewage that will otherwise flow into the waterways and renovation of existing sewage pumping stations and treatment facilities. The 85 projects will be completed by December 2022.
In the second phase, shortfalls in the sewer infrastructure will be improved. Sewer network from the collection system to conveyance pipeline will would be strengthened at a cost of ₹1,370 crore.
Roadside pumping station would be constructed to decentralise the system for which detailed project reports were under preparation, the order said.
