Chennai: To ensure a continuous supply of water, the Metro Water department has started providing Anna Nagar and surrounding areas with water drawn from agricultural wells in Tiruvallur, Tamarapakkam, and Minjur.
According to reports, Metrowater has started drawing 15 million litres a day from 300 wells on agricultural land it has leased in Tiruvallur, Tamarapakkam, and Minjur to meet the water needs. However, what is worrisome is the groundwater situation in Anna Nagar.
Ashokan, a resident of B Block said, “The few households that still have traditional wells in the neighborhood, went dry before summer even started. Event bore wells that found water up to a depth of 80 feet up until last summer, have failed now. We are increasing the depth up to 200 feet now.”
According to the study by Rain Centre, a city-based voluntary organisation, some observation wells like those in Anna Nagar had gone dry in February, indicating the dependence on groundwater sources, owing to the dip in the piped water supply.
But, Metrowater managers say the supply situation isn’t too bad with 180 million litres a day piped from Veeranam lake and an equal quantity from the two desalination plants too. If needed, more water could be drawn from the wells. Water drawn from these wells is pumped into the Puzhal reservoir.
After treatment, the water is piped to Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Kolathur, Korattur, Ambattur and up to Nungambakkam lake area in the heart of the city, a senior officer said.
By the middle of May, 50 million litres will be drawn daily from the 300 wells for a month. After that the Metrowater will draw nearly 90 million litres from these wells, which will fulfill about 15 per cent of the city’s requirement for the next couple of months, reports said.