The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vayalur check dam plan revived to meet Chennai water needs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vayalur check dam plan revived to meet Chennai water needs

By K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI, JAN. 11. In a bid to create more drinking water sources for the city, the two-decade-old proposal for the construction of check dam at Vayalur has been revived. The Government plans to float tenders after Pongal for the project.

The proposal, which was included under the Chennai Water Supply Augmentation Project -II, envisages construction of a check dam across the Palar near Vayalur in Thirukazhukundram taluk of Kancheepuram district. The dam, to be located 75 km south of Chennai, would cost Rs. 80 crores. Construction would start in April and would be completed in 18 months.

Chennai's water managers expect to draw 20 million litres of water a day (mld) from this point, according to a Public Works Department official. The 2.05-km-long dam can arrest runoff from the river into the sea, store about one thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water and can be used for water supply to the city. The dam can also arrest seawater incursion and help to sustain the demand for water for irrigation in the nearby villages.

As groundwater potential at the sub-surface level is immense, water can be drawn throughout the year. Up to 90 mld can be drawn, but the officials have decided to draw only 20 mld to sustain groundwater quality.

Treatment plant

A PWD official said water from here would be pumped into a collection well in the riverbed and conveyed through a pipeline to Mangalam, about 10 km away, where a treatment plant is proposed. Water would then be let into pipelines laid under the New Veeranam Project. Chennai Metrowater would take over the execution of the project.

The catchment areas of the dam, including those at Madurantakam and Cheyyur taluks, receive 1,400 mm rainfall a year. Even during last year's dry northeast monsoon, the realisation was about 653 mcft, equal to 190 mld of water for 45 days. The officials are considering drawing water from September, before the project completion to balance supply from the Veeranam lake. The Veeranam project is designed for only six months supply, as it receives the maximum inflow only during the northeast monsoon, an official said.

The lake now has a storage of 474 mcft against its total capacity of 1,645 mcft. It is receiving an inflow of 700 cubic feet per second from the Lower Anicut (routed through the Vadavar Channel).

Meanwhile, residents of T.Nagar, Saidapet and Anna Nagar complain of inadequate piped water supply. A quantum of 450 mld is supplied on alternate days, according to Metrowater.

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