Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami accorded sanction for 14 massive drinking water projects under which 24 hour water supply will be ensured in Tamil Nadu. The projects proposed under Vision 2023 will be implemented at a cost of Rs 20050 crore, local administration minister S. P. Velumani said on Monday.
Addressing a workshop on project implementation in water supply, the minister said that the projects formulated by late chief minister Jayalalithaa were now being implemented in a phased manner.
Currently, water managers were identifying areas where there is deficit or no supply through pipes. These massive projects, on completion, will address public complaints.
Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) scheme, the local administration ministry is implementing drinking water and sanitation projects at a cost of '7450 crore.
Currently the state supplies 7,382 million litres of safe drinking water to its residents and the demand for water has been steadily increasing over the years. In 2001, the state water supply demand was 1921 tmc feet and in another two decades this demand will surge to 2039 tmc feet of water per year. Desalination plants have been commissioned to bridge the demand supply gap and abandoned quarries are now being tapped as potential water supply sources, the minister said.
To address water shortage in Chennai, the state has identified 206 water bodies and all these lakes and ponds will be restored and desilted to enhance their capacity and recharge the ground water, Velumani said. Some leading corporate companies like Ashok Leyland, TVS, Yamaha and Cognizant have come forward to restore these water bodies under corporate social responsibility schemes, the minister added.
Earlier in the day, Velumani released a book on details of chlorination in water that is supplied by all municipalities and city corporations. The commissioner of municipal administration K. Prakash also took part in the event.
