Metrowater to Overhaul Sholinganallur’s Sewage and Water System

Water, for residents of Sholinganallur, has always had a problem of too much or too little. Close to two years after it came under the Chennai Corporation’s purview, the zone is set for a major overhaul of the sewage and water distribution system.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, or Metrowater, is undertaking a 136.60-crore comprehensive underground sewerage and water supply project in the area that is reeling under a severe water crisis.

“While most newly-added areas have been facing a water shortage, we identified Sholinganallur for the project as it has seen a lot of development in the last few years. We hope this project will address the problems of the residents,” said a Metrowater official. The project, a contract for which was bagged by Va Tech Wabag, is to begin soon and scheduled for completion by the end of 2015.

As part of the scheme, being undertaken under the Chennai Mega City Development Missioon Project, water distribution pipelines will be laid along a 117km stretch, while sewer lines will be 96km long. The contractor will also set up five pumping stations, which will benefit close to 1 lakh residents of Sholinganallur and Karapakkam on Old Mahabalipuram Road.

Paucity of water in the zone is often pinned on the spawning of IT parks and special economic zones in the last couple of years. “There was a time when we didn’t have to dig much to find water. Now even at a depth of 100 metres, we find the water is mostly saline,” said R Sethuraman of Sholinganallur.

Others blame private water tankers for the dwindling resources. “Water is a perennial problem here. During monsoon we see flooding, while in summer we see tankers indiscriminately drawing our water and ferrying it to the IT corridor,” said 52-year-old Anantha Padmanabhan, who moved here four years ago.