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Desalination plant relevance questioned

Staff Reporter

Doubts raised over logic of investing in the technology

CHENNAI: Community groups, local government representatives, residents' associations, non-governmental organisations, activists, students and public-interest professionals on Saturday came together to critically evaluate the proposal of setting up a Rs. 500 crore desalination plant in Minjur, north of Chennai. Speakers at the workshop `Understanding Desalination and its Implications for Chennai' said the Government and Metrowater had not addressed issues of sustainability, equity or quality in supplying water to the city. They questioned the logic of investing in a technology commonly used in places such as Saudi Arabia where rains were rare and freshwater was scarce. But Chennai's case was that it was unable to systematically utilise abundance of rainwater. Karen Coelho of Corporate Accountability Desk said the Chennai Water Forum aspired to be a platform to allow citizens to reclaim democratic space and be heard.

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