The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Showers delay works to bring water from aquifer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Showers delay works to bring water from aquifer

By K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI, MAY 7. The heavy showers in northern Tamil Nadu over the last five days has delayed works to bring water from Neyveli aquifer, using the pipelines laid as part of the Veeranam project.

However, Metrowater officials are confident that they will be able to supply the water extracted from the Neyveli aquifer to the city within a month. The initial flows are expected to reach the Porur Lake in the city in a week.

According to senior officials of Metrowater, the rainfall in places such as Villupuram, Vikravandi and Tindivanam threw into disarray the alignment of pipes between Madurantakam and Vikravandi. Rainwater entered into trenches dug for the pipeline and empty pipes started floating. Welding works in different stretches were also delayed.

Metrowater sought to use the aquifer, as water cannot be extracted now from the Veeranam Lake. The rains have only helped to recharge the springs in the parched lake. Rainwater has filled only the trenches on the lakebed.

Yesterday, water was baled out of the trenches and work resumed. However, ``no major damage has been caused to the pipeline by the heavy downpour,'' the officials added.

They contend that in not less than a month's time, Chennai residents will receive the water extracted from the aquifer. Water travelled about 60 km from Vadakuthu near Neyveli and reached Vikravandi this morning.

If the water travels the entire stretch at the same pace, it will reach the Porur Lake in a week. Initially, about 20 million litres of water a day (mld) will be released into the lake and the flow will be increased to 60 MLD, said senior Metrowater officials.

The water will be used to build up the storage in the lake for a fortnight, and then transported to the Kilpauk Water works, for treatment and distribution. As an interim measure water will be distributed through tankers.

Earlier, Metrowater carried out flushing operations only. Now, it has started releasing water through pipelines simultaneously to ensure supply in due time, the officials added.

In the present operation, water extracted from 15 of the proposed 45 borewells of the Neyveli aquifer is collected at the Vadakuthu treatment plant and pumped to the Kadampuliyur overhead tank. This water will be let into the 228-km long pipeline for flowing by force of gravity to Chennai. After the flushing operation is carried out in each of the 50 segments of the alignment, water would be allowed to flow into each of these segments. At present, cleaning of the pipes is being done at a stretch near Tindivanam, said a senior official.

The city's reservoirs have a storage that can be used for 10 days, thanks to the rains, he said. However, tanker supply from peripheral areas of the city will be maintained to meet the increasing demand.

Problems for Metrowater: Page 5

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