TN gets cracking on new reservoirs
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The state government has speeded up the augmentation of the city’s water resources.
Senior state WRO (water resource organization) officials revealed to Deccan Chronicle that tenders would be floated for the Rs 330 crore project aimed at increasing the city’s water capacity by 1tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) by August end.
The capacity addition involves formation of new reservoirs near Kannankottai and Thervaikandigai in Gummidipoondi taluk.
Tetratech, a private consultant, who was awarded the Rs 65 lakh work for assessing the environmental impact of the project, is expected to submit the report by July 15, the officials said.
On receipt of the report, WRO would move the State-level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for environmental clearance, officials pointed out reasoning that as per the environmental rules it was sufficient to get SIEAA nod for projects costing less than Rs 500 crore and which involve hospitals and water bodies.
Meanwhile, Tiruvallur district administration has been told to hold public hearing and prepare the preliminary works for land acquisition for the project that would come up over a sprawling 1,500 acres.
WRO has also submitted land plan schedule to the district administration for identifying the poramboke and patta lands that fall within the land earmarked for the project.
The land entry permission would be obtained from the revenue authorities by the first week of August, officials said adding that the land acquisition and payment of compensation to the land donors would also proceed simultaneously.
WRO officials have set August 2014 as deadline for completing the project that would help store additional Krishna water received from Andhra Pradesh.
As on date, only once has Tamil Nadu received over 8tmcft of water, against the 12tmcft, it is entitled for, owing to want of surface storage facility. An additional 1tmcft would mean an additional month’s supply to Chennaiites.
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