If rain fails to replenish the reservoirs, Chennai Metrowater is mulling over various options to supply water to the city — one of them being transporting water through trains from other places of the State.
More residents are turning towards tanker supply or taking to streets as they face water shortage. Chennai receives piped water supply on alternate days and Metrowater has reduced supply to 550 million litres a day from 830 mld for several months now, owing to dwindling resources.
Though it has been raining for a few days now, it has not been sufficient to replenish storage in the four reservoirs that mainly cater to the city. The available resources in waterbodies will last till this month. The water agency has recently started tapping 10 mld of water from borewells in Neyveli belt.
Sources said nearly 100 mld of groundwater from agricultural wells in Tamaraipakkam and the Poondi belt was also being drawn to supplement city supply. “But, this is only a small portion of the resources used for agriculture,” said an official.
The water agency plans to explore the option of bringing water from Erode or other places as a last resort. On an average, only trains with wagons carrying 10-20 mld can be operated to Chennai, according to sources. Unlike a decade ago, more water sources, including Veeranam lake in Cuddalore district and two desalination plants in Nemmeli and Minjur, have been added to city supply. The city stopped receiving Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh owing to lack of rain.
Experts and former officials suggest that instead of bringing minimal volume of water through trains, Metrowater may source additional water through private tankers for a nominal rate. Meanwhile, the water agency had organised a meeting with private tanker operators and instructed them to charge a nominal rate to residents since the city is facing a water crisis. Private operators have agreed to fix Rs.2,200 as rate to supply 20,000 litres of water and Rs.1,200 for 12,000-litre tankers.
