The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Work orders awaited

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Work orders awaited

By T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI, APRIL 3. With the Madras High Court giving its ruling in favour of the State Government on the New Veeranam extension project, the question is when the authorities will begin execution, which has been split into five packages.

The plan is to draw 125 million litres a day (MLD) from six collector wells (at the sub-surface level) in the Coleroon.

"We have finalised the executing agencies for the packages. Only the work orders are to be issued," says a senior official of Metrowater, which has floated bids. The authorities have not yet received a copy of the judgment. After perusing the order, they will consult the Government.

"Our decision will be based on the advice of the Government," the official notes.

In December last, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the project, estimated to cost Rs. 300 crores. As a section of farmers in and around the sites for collector wells have expressed apprehension over the depleting groundwater table, the Government announced the construction of three check dams at a cost of Rs. 75 crores.

The work on building the dams will be carried out by the Public Works Department. It remains to be seen whether the construction will precede the execution of the Veeranam extension project, which involves laying pipelines for about 100 km and linking them (near Sethiathope) with pipelines laid under the project. Experts feel that the move will pacify at least some agitated farmers.

Desalination project

Gherzi Eastern Limited, an Indian partner of the German company, Laymeyer, consultants, are scrutinising bid documents received for the desalination project floated by Metrowater. Their findings are expected later this month. Based on their report, Metrowater will follow its usual procedure before issuing the work order. This process is likely to take a month. By the middle of May, the project may take off, say the experts.

Supply position

Metrowater has planned to maintain the present piped supply of 600 million litres in a block of two days. Of this, the agency provides 60 million litres a day to industry and bulk consumers. The rest is meant for the city. Through tankers, 30 or 40 MLD is distributed.

The Veernam tank, about 225 km south of Chennai, continues to contribute 180 MLD. Given the present storage, this may last for another 10-15 days, after which the authorities will have to depend on the Red Hills tank, where `Krishna water' is stored. The combined storage of Red Hills and Satyamurthi Sagar at Poondi is about two thousand million cubic feet (tmcft). With the storage at Red Hills (1.8 tmcft) and groundwater from the city's fringes, Metrowater hopes to maintain the present supply in the coming months. It is conscious of the limitations of drawing groundwater from nearby sources. It may have to take water from the Neyveli aquifer, as was done last year.

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