The Hindu : Front Page : ``Special gift'' for Chennai: Daily water supply to resume from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 01, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

``Special gift'' for Chennai: Daily water supply to resume from today

Special Correspondent

Storage in reservoirs reaches nearly 50 per cent of the full capacity

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced a "special gift" for Chennai's residents on the eve of Deepavali — resumption of daily piped water supply from Tuesday.

Until now, the supply was on alternate days. The quantum of daily supply is likely to be 350 to 400 million litres a day (MLD), sources say.

In a statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the storage in the city reservoirs — Red Hills, Cholavaram and Satyamurti Sagar in Poondi — had reached nearly 50 per cent of the full capacity of 7,412 million cubic feet. "There are also prospects of further inflows in November. So far, we have received about 802 mcft from the Krishna river."

Noting that "substantial further inflows" through the Kandaleru-Poondi Canal would continue for several months in view of the good storage position in Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said the well-field system in the Araniar-Kosasthalaiyar Basin had also been recharged in the recent rain. The Mettur reservoir was full and would ensure that the New Veeranam Project could continue to deliver 180 MLD through the summer, she said. The 100-MLD desalination project would also be taken up shortly.

Giving an account of the Chennai water supply position in the last four years, particularly since January 2003, Ms Jayalalithaa said the failure of the 2002 north-east monsoon forced the introduction of alternate day water supply in January 2003.

In December 2003, the storage in the reservoirs had dropped to the "lowest in 54 years of recorded data" and the supply through pipelines also ceased.

On the New Veeranam Project, Ms. Jayalalithaa claimed she had gone ahead with its implementation despite "harsh criticism" from the Opposition. "It was my foresight and vision to press ahead with the New Veeranam Project in February 2003 that enabled Chennai city to be saved in June 2004 when the city received 75 MLD through the New Veeranam Project."

Four months later, the alternate day piped supply was also restored.

DMK blamed

She blamed the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime for "scuttling her initiative" in getting the World Bank to take up the project in 1995 and for not finding a lasting solution to the water problem.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section