CM Stalin lays foundation stone for Mamallan reservoir, proposed as Chennai’s sixth drinking water source

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Monday (January 19, 2026) laid the instauration chromatic for the Mamallan reservoir, projected arsenic Chennai’s sixth drinking h2o root and the State’s archetypal freshwater reservoir on the seashore astatine Vada Nemmeli, connected East Coast Road.

The ₹342.60-crore task successful the Kovalam basin, covering the onshore parcel betwixt Thiruvidanthai and Kokilamedu, would beryllium implemented by the Water Resources Department (WRD) to make the reservoir dispersed implicit 5,161.27 acres and with a retention capableness of 1.65 1000 cardinal cubic feet.

The reservoir would person an yearly retention capableness of 2.25 tmcft erstwhile filled doubly and a imaginable to proviso 170 cardinal litres a time (mld) to Chennai. The tract would beryllium bound by ECR connected 1 broadside and Rajiv Gandhi Salai connected another.

Highlighting the humanities value of the region, the Chief Minister said the reservoir was named aft Pallava ruler, Narasimhavarman I, besides known arsenic Mamallan, who founded Mamallapuram. The Pallavas, renowned for their h2o absorption system, created astir 39 tanks, including Uthiramerur and Thenneri, which are inactive successful use.

The projected structure, which would store surplus h2o from 69 upstream tanks successful the Manamathy vessel group, would person a bund extending for astir 34 km. It would assistance forestall seawater intrusion and recharge groundwater successful neighbouring localities, including Thiruvidanthai, Thiruporur, and Mamallapuram, isolated from providing drinking h2o to 13 lakh residents of fast-developing areas similar Sholinganallur, Medavakkam, and Pallikaranai, helium said.

Fishing opportunities

There is simply a program to reconstruct the 15-km agelong Buckingham canal betwixt Thiruvidanthai and Mamallapuram crossed 311 acres, arsenic portion of the project, and this would amended the livelihood of fishermen babelike connected brackish h2o fishing. Fishing licences would besides beryllium issued to fishermen successful neighbouring localities, said Mr. Stalin.

Refuting claims that the DMK-led authorities had failed to conception retention structures, Mr. Stalin listed retired the names of 43 dams that were built betwixt 1967 and 2011. He besides outlined important initiatives taken by the State authorities to fortify h2o resources management. Noting that Chennai’s scenery has changed importantly implicit the past 5 years owing to respective schemes implemented nether the ‘Dravidian model’ regime, Mr. Stalin said much projects are awaiting inauguration.

Speaking to The Hindu, J. Jayakanthan, WRD Secretary, said fishermen would person caller sportfishing opportunities successful the reservoir, which would store excess floodwater draining into the sea. The task would beryllium completed successful 2 years.

The desilting of the Buckingham canal is expected to amended brackish h2o travel and floodwater, enhancing tidal speech betwixt the Muttukadu and Kokilamedu estuaries and creating amended sportfishing ground. The feasibility of introducing vessel rides successful the canal would besides beryllium studied. Moreover, astir 34 lakh cubic metre of silt is planned to beryllium cleared from 69 tanks feeding the reservoir. The feasibility of creating much specified reservoirs on the coastline would beryllium examined, Mr. Jayakanthan said.

G. Ravikumar, Director, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, and main researcher of the project, said the Centre for Water Resources had prepared the feasibility study to measure the quantum of h2o to beryllium obtained from upstream catchment areas for retention successful the caller reservoir.

Anna University would enactment arsenic the cognition spouse for the task execution, and the WRD has provided ₹2.93 crore to the Centre for its consultancy services. In a fewer years, groundwater array would acquisition changes successful the areas filled with inactive brackish pans.

Representatives of 15 non-governmental organisations were honoured astatine the lawsuit with awards for champion h2o conservation efforts.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Public Works Minister E.V. Velu, MSME Minister T.M. Anbarasan, Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, elected representatives, and elder officials of the WRD and Chengalpattu territory took portion successful the event.