Oil spill may threaten Minjur desalination plant

According to unconfirmed reports, the work at the desalination plant has been reportedly been stopped. However, officials from CMWSSB and Chennai Water Desalination Plant were tight-lipped over the suspension of the work at the plant. 

A minor solace for the Metro Water Board officials is that the slick spread only up to Tiruvanmiyur and the Nemmeli plant was safe. However, as a precautionary measure, a team of CMWSSB is keeping a constant watch on the course of the oil spill in the sea. Sources added that since Minjur desalination is located roughly 10 km from the trouble spot at Ennore. So the plant may also be hit by the slick. 

Meanwhile, an official from Chennai Water Desalination Plant, which maintains Minjur desalination plant, denied the reports and said any decision would be taken 

only by higher officials. 

A senior engineer from CMWSSB, who also denied that the plant was shut, said “There is no need for panic and the Minjur desalination plant is not affected by the slick.”

When asked how the Minjur plant escaped, when the oil has spread nearly up to 30 km in the sea from Ennore port, he said, “There is no such information and everything is fine.” 

“The CMWSSB officials are continuously monitoring the situation and we receive updates about spreading of the spill,” he said and hung up.