Due to the severe water crisis in Chennai, the city’s water supply board will start sourcing drinking water from Jolarpettai in two weeks, according to an announcement from Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
According to reports, this is the first time in 18 years that the capital city will bring water from other places in train wagons. Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is reportedly reviewing ways to bring 10 MLD water to Chennai using a train with 50 wagons. This scheme is being deliberated after the CM announced that Rs 65 crore has been allocated to bring water from Jolarpettai by train.
Following the announcement, senior officials of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD), CMWSSB and Southern Railway surveyed water bodies in Jolarpettai on Saturday. Surplus water supplied to Vellore through the Mettur drinking water project will be diverted to Chennai according to the plan. The survey report will be submitted to the Secretariat in a day or two after which a decision would be taken, reported The Hindu.
The 50-wagon train would have to make four trips to transport 10 MLD to Chennai since the capacity of the train is around 2.6 million litres. The water will be brought to Chennai, treated in Kilpauk and supplied to parts of northern and central Chennai till Triplicane.
DMK’s Duraimurugan has, however, warned the Tamil Nadu government not to go ahead with the plan. Speaking at an event in Vellore, Duraimurugan said that if the government takes water from Vellore, then there would be massive protests in the district. SP Velumani, the Minister for Local Administration and Water Supply, in response, assured that taking 10 MLD of water from Vellore will not decrease the supply across the district in any way.
It was last in 2001 that water was brought in wagons from Erode to Chennai to deal with water scarcity in the city.