Only way out: Kudimaramathu to save reservoirs

Chennai is facing the worst water crisis in its history, and the scene is similar across the state, not seen in decades. Chennai used to be a fertile land with adequate natural resources to tap for water to provide for its entire population.

But today, the city has been left wandering and searching for water, which is not available anywhere. Rampant construction, continuous flouting of norms are not alone in contributing to this state of affairs. Stopping of age old and time-tested practices to store water have compounded the problem.

Seldom are authorities able to store water to capacity of 11,057 mcft in Chennai’s reservoirs - Poondi, Chembarambakkam, Red Hills and Cholavaram, as they are covered with 30 per cent of alluvial soil which have to be desilted. Moreover, the approach channels to these reservoirs have also been encroached upon and hence cut off.

Fifty per cent of the 36 lakes in Chennai have been closed and are converted into residential and commercial complexes, bus and railway stations. Further, Virugambakkam, Porur and Pallikaranai lakes have almost been encroached.

Now, the encroachers have turned their attention to waterbodies. There were hundreds of tanks in Chennai alone. Most of the tanks have disappeared. They have now turned into concrete structures.

For example, the Madras High Court stands on the Parry’s Corner tank, the Mandaveli tank has been converted into a bus stand.

There are 75 heritage temples in Chennai and each has a tank of its own. But today, all the tanks are in a pathetic condition, the reason behind 400 tmc of water being drained into the sea during the 2015 rain that caused floods.

“Chennai records the highest rainfall in Tamil Nadu,” says water management expert S Janakarajan. “Average rainfall is 1,350 mm per year, which is more than enough to cater to its needs, if the water is stored. About 125 tmc of water can be stored in the 4,100 water bodies in the peripheral districts every year. We have already identified those waterbodies and have sent a detailed report to the government. But so far, no action has been taken. Chennai’s one-year water requirement is just 12 to 15 tmc. Without finding ways for proper storage of water, there is no point ranting,” he adds.

“Tamil Nadu was never a water deficit state. The average rainfall in the state is 950 mm per year. The Tamil Nadu Senior Engineers Association – PWD survey has listed the 12 rivers, the surplus water of which drain into the sea. According to the survey, the surplus water from rivers including Kosasthalaiyar, Cauvery and Tamirabharani draining into the sea is around 260 tmc,” says A Veerappan, former Chief Engineer, Public Works Department.

There are 39,210 lakes and tanks in Tamil Nadu. The government records say that around 390 tmc of water could be stored in these waterbodies.

But, Tamil Nadu Environmental Corporation in its survey in 2008, has said that 15 per cent of waterbodies have disappeared and 30 per cent of them were in such a bad shape that they cannot store water. The remaining waterbodies also cannot store water to its capacity.

S Nallasamy, secretary of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Agricultural Associations, says, “It all happened after the PWD took over the protection of lakes and tanks from the local bodies, who were guarding the waterbodies in their areas. We believed that the government would take care of the lakes and tanks. It was not the case earlier, local administration gathered residents and they jointly desilted the tanks and lakes in our areas. It was called ‘Kudimaramathu’. Till 1967, desilting waterbodies during summer was in practice. The waterbodies would be ready to receive rainwater to their capacity during the rainy season. The gushing water from the approach channels would carry the alluvial soil, which is a boon for farmers, to the lakes, as it is used as fertiliser in agriculture. The red ochre soil under the surface is used to make terracotta items, bricks and tiles. People who benefit from the waterbody would come forward and do the work. The ochre soil would be excavated only from the belly area of the waterbody. Further, the approach channels would be cleared of silt to facilitate flow of water into the waterbody. The public participation ensured effective desilting of tanks and lakes and agriculture activities flourished earning good revenue for the local bodies.”

In Tamil Nadu, there are 34 river water basins. For many years, illegal sand mining has been rampant in the state. It has resulted in the loss of 833 tmc of water, which the state gets through rain. People have forgotten that the sand beds help in collection and storage of water.

There are 74 big dams and seven small dams in which 233 tmc of water could be stored. Since these dams were not properly desilted even 40 per cent of water could not be stored.

Former Director of National Water Academy, Manohar Khushalani, says, “Water storage, increasing the ground water table is the joint responsibility of government and citizens”.

People volunteers do team up and sweat it out to desilt waterbodies. Though some corporates and some district administrations like the Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur district administrations support their cause, many deny them the permission to go ahead with their work.

Tamil Nadu is a fertile land, rich in water wealth. But it has become a drought-hit state because of the greed and growing consumerism.

Chennai is not the only city facing the water crisis this year. Joining the bandwagon are 21 Indian cities, including metros like Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai which may run out of groundwater by 2020, says a report from NITI Ayog, the apex planning body. Further, it has warned that by 2030, about 40 per cent of people in the country will have no access to drinking water.

The situation is likely to worsen as the demand for water will exceed the supply in another 30 years, according to Indiastat, a data aggregator.

People in Chennai are struggling to manage the water crisis. Women wandering on the streets with empty pots has become a common sight. Every day, citizens spend around 30 minutes to three hours to fetch their quota of drinking water for the family’s needs.

Some hotels have been pushed to close down their operations. Many women's hostels have been shut. Construction works have come to a grinding halt. Dry cleaning units are struggling to find alternative ways. IT firms have already asked their staff to work from home and some have also outsourced their work. Residents have vacated their flats and moved to other places.

Though the government is taking steps on a war-footing, still a lot has to be done as the ground situation has become a worrying factor.

DMK held a demonstration in all district headquarters highlighting the water crisis. The daily water requirement of Chennai is 1,200 million litres (mld) but so far, the administration has been managing with the available 850 mld. But now it has been pushed to a situation where it has to manage with the available 450 mld to 550 mld of water. Daily 900 lorries are making 7,000 trips to supply water across the city. It has become a big challenge for the people as they have to struggle hard to get water.