Minjur desalination plant set for partial revival to augment water supply in north Chennai

Chennai Metrowater is readying to statesman partial operations astatine the Minjur desalination works by mid-August, aiming to nutrient a minimum of 10 cardinal litres a time (mld) to augment h2o proviso successful northbound Chennai. The works has remained defunct for respective months.

Metrowater is carrying retired a conditional appraisal of the works done Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company Limited. A elaborate task study is besides being prepared connected the rehabilitation enactment required to reconstruct the plant’s afloat capableness of 100 mld.

Officials of Metrowater said the partial operations would assistance boost h2o proviso successful areas falling nether the Tiruvottiyur, Manali and Madhavaram zones and besides place functional gaps that request to beryllium addressed for a imperishable revamp of the facility.

Crucial restoration

Residents of northbound Chennai said reviving the works is important to amended h2o supply. Recalling that regular h2o proviso stopped 2 years ago, P.K.Thenkanal Isaimozhi of Manali New Town said, “We person piped h2o proviso connected alternate days present and prime has improved aft pipelines were replaced recently. The locality is accelerated processing with much apartments coming up. Additional measurement of h2o proviso volition assistance resume regular h2o supply.”

Among the 3 desalination plants successful the city, the installation successful Minjur was the archetypal to beryllium established successful 2010 done a bulk h2o acquisition statement with Chennai Water Desalination Limited, a consortium institution of IVRCL Infrastructures Limited and Befesa, Spain. It catered to astir 12 lakh residents of 3 zones.

However, determination was a dependable diminution successful accumulation since 2023 and it ceased operations successful November 2024 owing to interior issues of the institution followed by declaration termination.

Noting that respective captious components of the works were imported, officials said discussions were nether mode with archetypal instrumentality manufacturers to measure the information of assorted units. Some of the works, including the appraisal of the information of the seawater intake pipeline, which has go choked, required sizeable time.

Once the DPR is completed successful a fewer months, the h2o bureau would person to finalise backing and implementation exemplary — Public Private Partnership oregon Hybrid Annuity — earlier floating a tender for the implicit revamp, officials said. As of now, h2o is being provided done alternate sources. The areas person a h2o request of 40 mld.

To further fortify h2o supply, enactment is successful advancement to laic a dedicated h2o transmission pipeline from the Red Hills attraction works to the Madhavaram booster presumption to summation drinking h2o proviso to 3 zones, officials added.