Metro Water to appoint consultant for 400 MLD desalination plant at Minjur

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board will soon appoint a consultant to conduct a pre-feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report for the proposed 400 million litres per day (MLD) seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant at Kattupalli village in Minjur.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had announced in the Assembly that the plant would be established at an estimated cost of Rs 4,800 crore to augment drinking water supply to north Chennai, Avadi, Ponneri, and Minjur.

CMWSSB currently supplies around 1,240 MLD of water for domestic consumption and industrial use. More than 75% of its supply is sourced from six reservoirs, including Red Hills, Poondi, Chembarambakkam, and Veeranam, while the rest comes from other sources, including desalination plants.

The city currently has two operational desalination plants at Nemmeli on East Coast Road, with a combined capacity of 260 MLD. A 100 MLD desalination plant at Minjur is undergoing repairs, while another 400 MLD plant is under construction at Perur.

The proposed Minjur plant is expected to strengthen Chennai's water security by augmenting supply and reducing dependence on reservoir storage, particularly during periods of poor monsoon rainfall.

With the completion of the ongoing and proposed projects, Chennai's total desalination capacity will increase to 1,160 MLD.