Presidency College selected for water mission pilot project

Chennai: The state government has set its ‘new’ Sustainable Water Security Mission rolling and identified the iconic 175-year-old Presidency College for a pilot project. Under the mission, the government proposes to build fool-proof rainwater harvesting mechanism at the college campus spread across 17 acres and evolve appropriate strategies for ‘self-reliant’ water management.

A senior bureaucrat, who is privy to workings of the mission, told Deccan Chronicle that Presidency College was one of the 15 important sites that were short-listed under the pilot phase. However, the rainwater harvesting project in the institution was being put on top priority as the campus hosts an important aquifer.

Hydrologists with Chennai metro water, in association with private rainwater harvesting experts, have worked on the modalities and prepared a comprehensive report, which is already tabled. The CMDA will fund the pilot project, which is estimated to cost Rs 10-12 lakh, sources said.

Last week, K. Phanindra Reddy, principal secretary, municipal administration and water supply department, chaired a meeting attended by senior officials from departments concerned to give additional impetus to the Sustainable Water Security Mission, which was announced by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa recently in the Assembly with a futuristic perspective to sustain water resources in and around Chennai.

A survey showed that Presidency College is meeting its water needs from three huge open wells dug during the British era. Currently, these wells are holding 10 ft of water as against its capacity of 25 ft. There is evidence of water table depleting and rainwater harvesting can sustain the aquifer with groundwater recharge, besides protecting it from sea water intrusion.