Chennai to get 5th reservoir before northeast monsoon
Julie Mariappan
Chennai:
As the city is facing a severe water crisis, the government is pushing hard to provide it yet another drinking water reservoir at Thervoikandigai in Tiruvallur district before the onset of the northeast monsoon in October.
The AIADMK government is keen to ensure that the water body is ready before the assembly polls. The reservoir is to be formed by linking the existing water bodies in Thervoikandigai and Kannankottai villages, about 14km from Uthukottai near the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border.
Work on the `330 crore project is in full swing, with the formation of a 5.45km long earthen bund. “We are racing against time to complete the work to see first filling before northeast monsoon,“ said a government official. Work is also progressing on an 8.3kmlong channel linking Kandaleru-Poondi canal and the new reservoir via Thamaraikuppam, Senjee Agaram and Pallikuppam villages. The canal will take Krishna water, whenever Andhra releases it, into the reservoir. Once completed, the reservoir could get filled up twice a year, thereby creating a cumulative storage capacity of one thousand million cubic feet, which translates into a month's drinking water supply to the city .
The project suffered ini tial hiccups over land acquisi tion. The public works department has acquired 1,485.16 acres, largely from private individuals. “ A recent addition is 54.59 acres of reserve forest land to develop the diversion channel,“ the official said.The land owners have been given interim compensation as per Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Local people are worried as construction of five sluices to divert water for existing ayacut areas is yet to start.
Work on inlets and regulators is also underway . Bridges across the off-take channel are built in six places. “ As the reservoir is located close to Pulicat, a coastal belt, it is expected to receive good rainfall,“ the official said.
The new reservoir will be a boon for Metrowater. “ A pumping station is being built close to the reservoir and will be completed in three months.The station will directly pump water into Chennai's distribution network,“ the official said.
