Only drops to drink

Chennai is facing a major water crisis. T. Ramakrishnanon the options to save the situation.

THE PROTESTS are becoming louder from Chennai's water-starved citizens. Roads are blockaded and officials are harangued, but water remains in short supply. Of the four reservoirs that serve the city, just one, Red Hills, has any water. The rest are bone dry.

The northeast monsoon failed for the last two years and the city is paying the price. The daily supply by the public utility, Metrowater, is just 160 million litres a day (MLD) - it was 440 MLD in 1999 and 250 MLD last year.

Desperate measures seem in order. The new Government of Ms. Jayalalithaa has ordered water by road from Neyveli and by rail from Erode. In stages, 500 lorries will transport on an average 10,000 litres a day each from Neyveli - about 200 km from Chennai. Simultaneously, 60 wagons will bring 12 lakh to 15 lakh litres of Cauvery water from Erode every day and perhaps an equal quantity from next month from Mettur.

Not much considering the needs of a metro bursting at the seams. But at least the `starved' tail-end areas can get some relief. This Government has to be seen to be doing something.

The scarcity became pronounced when Krishna water stopped flowing to the city. (Now Andhra Pradesh has agreed to resume supply from July 1.) This happened three days after the AIADMK Government returned to power in mid-May.

As an immediate measure, the AIADMK Government decided to do what it did eight years ago - bring water from Neyveli and Erode by road and rail respectively. However, looking at the quantity of water transported, is it worth the effort? Or is it mere tokenism? The net addition from the new sources may be 6 MLD. In simple terms, the quantity can, at best, take care of 2,000 streets at a minimal rate of 3,000 litres a street. But, at least, 7,000 of the city's 14,000 streets do not receive piped supply these days. The cost of bringing water from Neyveli and Erode is not known. In 1993-94, the AIADMK Government spent about Rs. 49 crores for drought control measures. The State has agreed to pay 22 paise per litre of water for transportation to the Railways as of now.

But the problem runs much deeper. Even the Government knows that this kind of ``quick-fix solutions'' cannot take it far. The AIADMK regime's prescription to overcome the city's perennial water scarcity is the New Veeranam Project. To be fair to Ms. Jayalalithaa, it was during her previous regime (1991-96) that the scheme, formulated in late 1960s and partially executed till the mid-1970s, was sought to be given a fresh lease of life. By the time the World Bank sanctioned funds for the project, she lost power. The next DMK regime chose to ``kill the initiative''. Now back in power, Ms. Jayalalithaa is keen on reviving it.

The project envisages drawing water from the sprawling Veeranam tank, that lies about 225 km south of Chennai at the tail-end of the Cauvery basin, and supplying 180 MLD to the city. The scheme's viability is questioned on the ground that the tank may not receive sustained flows all the time. Besides there could be opposition from the local farmers, and the habitations en route may also demand their share. Of course, any such project will face similar opposition.

If the Veeranam project is implemented, it can certainly supplement the city water supply. However, the debate over a permanent remedy for Chennai's water scarcity goes on. As of now, it centres around the Krishna water project, bringing Cauvery water from near Erode through a canal, and setting up of desalination plants.

Notwithstanding the adverse publicity that it got initially, the Krishna water supply project is one of the best means of sustaining the city's water supply. But for the receipt of Krishna water from September 2000 to May 2001, the authorities would have been unable to maintain the supply at 250 MLD in those critical months.

At the same time, work on the Somasila and the Kandaleru reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh, which feed the city, has not been completed. So they cannot store water to the planned capacity. Unless this is done, Chennai residents will not get the full benefit of the project.

As supply of Krishna water is dependent on a combination of factors, some beyond Tamil Nadu's control, some experts say the State Government should consider lifting Cauvery water from Pallipalayam near Erode and conveying it through an open-lined channel to the Chembarampakkam tank, on Chennai's southwestern fringe.

According to these experts, enormous amounts of water are available from July to January at Pallipalayam, where irrigation interests have not developed yet. The project can even completely meet the city's annual requirement of 10 tmc ft. The cost will be Rs. 900 crores, Rs.700 crores less than the New Veeranam Project.

Still, inter-State river waters have an element of uncertainty. So, desalination plants may be the lasting remedy, another set of experts argues. The Gulf countries have put up numerous plants, producing around 24,000 MLD, 50 per cent of the world's installed capacity.

The cost of reverse osmosis desalination plants essentially depends on the price of power. If the Government can offer power at nominal rates, it is possible to produce potable water from sea water at a cost more or less equal to that incurred by Metrowater now. As desalination plants have to be put up near the coast, the Centre needs to exempt them from the coastal zone regulations.

Ultimately, it is the political leadership that has to display courage and vision in choosing the ideal option.

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