Tamil Nadu   

Desalination, the best bet to quench Chennai's thirst

Special Correspondent

It will reduce dependency on neighbouring States for water

ENDING WATER WOES: Sanjeev Paul (right), Managing Director, JUSCO, is seen with L.S. Ganesh (left), Head of the Department of Management Studies, IIT-Madras; Sudhakar Rao (third from left), General Manager, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and Sheela P riya, Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, at a seminar on infrastructure management, organised by the Department of Management Studies, in Chennai on Friday. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI: Though desalination may seem like a comparatively expensive option to enhance water availability to Chennai, it was the only way to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water to the city, Sheela Priya, Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, and Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board, said here on Friday.

Desalination was the only option that would not hold the State to ransom, and also reduce its dependency on neighbouring States for its water needs, she said during a seminar on "Challenges and Emerging Opportunities in Managing Urban and Industrial Infrastructure," organised by the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, here.

Chennai's perennial water scarcity was only worsened by the limits of locally-available supply and issues such as pollution.

Though participation of citizens was imperative for the success of mega projects such as desalination, such criticism should be constructive.

The administration was seized of the urgency in clearing encroachments along lakes and water bodies, and also on issues such as relocation of the displaced population.

The relocation would be done in a phased manner, she added.

Treated water

There was resistance among the public to using treated water for domestic purposes as there seemed to be a "psychological barrier" against using this water for potable purposes, she further said.

Sanjeev Paul, Managing Director of JUSCO, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, spoke of the company's initiatives in reducing unaccounted for water (UFW) and diverting it for use by those in need of it.

Sudhakar Rao, General Manager, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and L.S. Ganesh, head of the Department of Management, also spoke.

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