Work on the proposed Mamallan Reservoir near Chennai has been halted for the past week, even as indications emerge that the project could be cancelled, according to officials.
The reservoir was planned across 5,161 acres from Kanathur to Kokkilamedu, with a storage capacity of 1.65 TMC. The project was launched in January after the then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin laid the foundation stone. It was intended to supply 170 million litres of drinking water per day to Chennai and its suburban areas, with an allocation of Rs 342 crore.
However, fishermen and environmental activists have opposed the plan, alleging that salt pans would be destroyed and that coastal frontage areas would be affected. Amid this backdrop, officials said they have received information that the project may be scrapped.
Officials from the drinking water supply department said the project was conceived to reduce reliance on desalination, as purifying seawater can cost the government up to Rs 7 per litre. They said bund construction had reached about 15% completion, but after the newly formed TVK government held consultations with senior officials from the water resources and drinking water departments, the embankment work was stopped.
Officials warned that if the project is cancelled, meeting the drinking water needs of Chennai’s suburbs over the next six years could become difficult, and the department may face a major challenge during drought periods.
