CHENNAI: The ‘Sustainable Water security mission’, which was begun in Chennai, will be replicated across the State by the next financial year, says Phanindra Reddy, principal secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

He was speaking to the Express on the sidelines of the Water Conclave 2017. The sustainable water security mission that was launched by Jayalalithaa had five components: campus rain water harvesting; grey water recycling and reuse; storm water harvesting; restoration and rejuvenation of water bodies; and research, documentation and outreach.

SS Rajagopalan, former director, State Water Resources Management Agency and former chief engineer, Water Resources Department, said the State Water Policy was not renewed since 2002. Reddy reacted to it saying that while the policy remained on paper, sustainable water security mission would play the role of an action plan instead.

Around 280 water bodies were identified in Chennai, of which 32 were shortlisted for the project and a detailed report was prepared for four to five. Pilot projects were initiated for 15 water bodies.

“We’ve instructed each municipality to desilt and deepen reservoirs in their area without expecting extra Government funds,” he said. “Apart from cleaning natural reservoirs, we have extended the project to temple tanks,” he said. In Chennai, 17 temple tanks was identified to ensure that the tanks were replenished and cleaned and if there was no inflow of water, the reason would be analysed. “We have completed restoring two of these tanks,” he said.

Corporation to set up rainwater harvesting cell to disseminate information

TNN | Updated: Mar 23, 2017, 01.00 AM IST

Madurai: With the city facing its worst water crisis in 142 years this year, the Madurai Corporation has decided to establish a rainwater harvesting cell, through which residents can get technical details on its setting up and maintenance, corporation commissioner, Sandeep Nanduri said on Wednesday. The cell would be set up in co-ordination with the Young Indians chapter of the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and Rainstock, an organisation into rainwater harvesting.

Nanduri was speaking at the 'World Water Day' event organised by the corporation at the Gandhi Museum campus in Madurai on Wednesday. He said that this was by far the most important event being conducted by the Madurai Corporation and the importance of conserving and saving water was a message that has to be taken to all.

Water awareness will be intensified in the city corporation limits in the next two months, before the next monsoon to harvest the rain, he said. While many houses having already established their own structures, as there is a government order which makes it mandatory, campus rainwater harvesting systems in large complexes and institutions are to be intensified, he said. These structures set up over a decade ago have to be maintained regularly, he added.

Collector K Veera Raghava Rao, who flagged off the World Water Day rally in which hundreds of students from many city colleges participated said that students of both schools and colleges in the districts should act as ambassadors of water conservation.

He urged the students to take the message on water conservation to all the 1946 hamlets in the district and said that the district administration was ready to help them in this initiative. The only solace is that this March, the district received four times more than its average rainfall, which helped it have water for an additional 15 days. "Just imagine what we would have to face if the failure of just two monsoons, led the district to face the worst drought in 142 years," he said.

Chairman, CII Madurai Zone P Srinivasavaradhan said that the CII would work in co-ordination with the district administration to maintain water bodies in the district.