Water supply cut down to 550 MLD, admits minister

“Despite of the disastrous monsoon season in Chennai, the government will continue ensure supply of 550 MLD water to the city until March 2019. Projects worth Rs 823.64 crore will be implemented to fulfil the city’s water requirements,” Velumani said.

Responding to a query, the minister admitted that although Chennai needs 830 MLD, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) had never been able to meet the actual demand.

The minister’s announcement came at a time when the four major lakes that supply water to the city– Chembarambakkam, Poondi, Redhills and Cholavaram — are drying fast. “The combined storage of four lakes that supply water to the city is 11,257 (million cubic feet) Mcft. Now, the lakes combined storage of little over 1,000 MCft which is only 9 per cent of the total storage,” a CMWSSB official said.

Explaining the measures taken, Velumani said that 30 MLD water was being drawn from abandoned quarries in Sikkarayapuram. “Water will also be drawn from 350 agricultural wells and additional tankers will be rented at a cost of Rs 47 crore and Rs 39.60 crore.

Mini tanker lorries, with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 litres of water, would be operated to supply water to houses on narrow streets and lanes, a CMWSSB official said.

Meanwhile, even though the minister and officials claimed that drinking water continues to be supplied across the city, residents in Adyar said that they have been forced to buy drinking water from other sources.

“The supply of drinking water in Adyar area is extremely poor. We have to buy water from outside sources. For an apartment of 15 flats, we have to spend Rs 10,000 per month on drinking water,” C Ramakrishnan, a resident of Gandhi Nagar and the vice-president of Federation of Adyar Resident’s Associations (FEDARA), said.