Chennai: Chennai’s third desalination plant which would supply 150 MLD water to the residents will be ready by 2021 end. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1,259.38 crore desalination plant at Nemmeli in neighbouring Kancheepuram district on Thursday.
This seawater desalination plant would help cater to the drinking water requirements of parched Chennai. About nine lakh people in parts of southern Chennai like Alandur, St Thomas Mount and Sholinganallur, besides those on the IT sector on Rajiv Gandhi Salai will benefit from the latest initiative. Though the project was announced by late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in 2013 in the State Assembly, the foundation stone was laid only when the city is reeling under acute scarcity for water owing to the failure of monsoon and drastic depletion in groundwater level.
Currently, Chennai has two desalination plants each with a capacity of 100 million litres per day (MLD) - one at Minjur near here, catering to 10 lakh residents of north Chennai and another at Nemmeli catering to nine lakh residents of South Chennai. The government’s decision to install a second desalination unit near the existing one on 10.50 acres land is “in line with the announcement of former Chief Minister, Mr Palaniswami laid after laying the foundation stone for the 15 crore litres a day (150 MLD) desalination plant at Nemmeli on East Coast Road.
"Had we received sufficient rains then the lakes and other waterbodies would have filled up and groundwater would have got rejuvenated. Groundwater level will enhance only when it rains," Mr. Palaniswami emphasised.
Also, the government has been attempting to encourage the industries to recycle and use water. "From hence, new industries that come up and new multi-storied buildings that are established will get building plan approval only if they have provision for establishing water recycling facilities," the CM said and added the move would help save water.
On the scheme to bring drinking water from Jollarpettai in neighbouring Vellore district, to Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami said appropriate works were on and it would be implemented in two weeks' time.
Asked about Karnataka's proposal to construct a balancing reservoir cum drinking water project across the Cauvery at Mekedatu, the CM the State government has been opposing the move and it had sought of the Centre the rejection of Karnataka's proposal for environmental clearance for the Mekedatu project. Tamil Nadu has already moved the Supreme Court on the issue.
Mr. Palaniswami assured that the State would only accept projects that are beneficial to it.
