Rain Water Harvesting scheme revived in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI, September 18: Tamil Nadu government today said that the thrust on Rain Water Harvesting (RWH), introduced by the AIADMK government in 2001, has been revived, resulting in an additional recharge of over 8 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of groundwater. Since the inception of the scheme by the Jayalalithaa government in 2001, 7.20 lakh structures under Chennai Corporation and another over 51 lakh under other Corporations and local bodies have been covered under RWH, government said. In his department's policy note tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, S P Velumani said the AIADMK government's focus on RWH during 2001-06 had 'reaped rich dividends' with the groundwater level showing a 'significance rise.' "The thrust on Rain Water Harvesting has now been revived and measures geared upto rejuvenate RWH structures and to install" new ones, he said. Further, of the 3,994 tanks under the maintenance of urban local bodies, 3,394 have been restored, he said. "The cumulative impact of these measures has resulted in the creation of an additional recharge of 8.67 tmc ft" of ground water, he said. Further, in order to address the drinking water needs of Chennai, administrative sanction has been accorded for the creation of an additional 150 Million Litres a Day (MLD) seawater Desalination Plant at in the premises of the existing 100 MLD plant at Nemmeli near here, he said. "In addition, Detailed Project Report has been prepared for establishment of a 400 MLD desalination plant at Perur on ECR Road and (this) is awaiting financial tie-up," he added. On the issue of recycling waste water to be used for industrial purposes, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board was in the process of setting up 45 MLD Tertiary Treated Reverse Osmosis plants in Koyambedu and Kodungaiyur here, Velumani said.