The Hindu : Contingency project to sink borewells apace

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Contingency project to sink borewells apace

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, MARCH 29. With the Veernanam tank completely dry, as of now, the prospects of carrying water from this source to Chennai have become next to impossible.

Hence, Chennai Metrowater officials are frantically trying to tap an alternative source, sinking deep borewells in the Gadilam-Paravanaru riverbeds. They are camping near Neyveli to complete the new project, being executed at a cost of Rs. 49 crores, by May - end.

This is outside the purview of the New Veeranam project or Chennai Water Augmentation Project— I. Official sources say that sinking of borewells, each for a depth of 240 metres, has been taken up as a ``contingency plan.'' Therefore, it is as good as a different project altogether.

Under the contingency plan, it has been decided to sink 45 deep borewells and the aggregate water yield is expected to be 90 million litres per day (90 mld), as against the proposed yield of 180 mld under the New Veeranam project.

The sources say that work on 10 borewells is nearing completion and the remaining 35 will be sunk within one month. There may not be any need for treating this groundwater. It will be drained into an underground sump at Vadakuthu and purified by the ``flushing method'' and by chlorination.

From the sump, water will be pumped to the Kadayampuliyur overhead tank, for which a separate pipeline is being laid. From the overhead tank, water will be conveyed through the pipeline of the New Veeranam project by force of gravity to Chennai.

In June 2001, hundreds of water tankers were pressed into service to transport groundwater drawn from Neyveli to Chennai, but the exercise proved expensive. The sources say that using the existing infrastructure to carry water through the pipeline will be cheaper. It is stated the Union Environment Ministry has said that unless the Neyveli Lignite Corporation scales down groundwater use, (Several borewells have been put up in the township to cater for thousands of households), its extension projects will not be cleared.

There is an opinion among farmers that if the aquifer in the Gadilam-Paravanaru stretch is indiscriminately exploited, this source will also dry up and seawater incursion will occur.

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