In a major move to strengthen the city’s water security, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has announced a ₹14,000-crore plan to restore lakes and tanks, construct new reservoirs, and expand recharge structures across Chennai.
According to a feasibility report by the Chennai Corporation, the city’s drinking water demand is projected to more than triple by 2050 — rising to 38.73 tmc from the current 11 tmc. To address this, WRD has approved 704 priority projects to be implemented over the next decade, out of 1,165 proposals.
The projects will cover 12 basins, with a focus on reviving about 1,150 tanks in suburban areas. These include 350 interconnected tanks such as Thenneri, Sriperumbudur, Thirunindravur, Manimangalam, and Pillaipakkam, which act as catchments for Chembarambakkam. An additional 64 tanks along the OMR stretch — including Narayanapuram, Thalambur, Semmenchery, and Nanmangalam — will also be restored.
Plans include constructing 12 new reservoirs along the Cooum, Adyar, and Palar river basins, with sites identified at Thiruverkadu, Poonamallee, and four villages along the Palar. Each reservoir is expected to add 0.5–1 tmc of storage capacity. Three major reservoirs are also planned, including one near Salt Lake along East Coast Road and another on 300 acres of government land in Perumbakkam, designed to store 2.25 tmc of water.
Additionally, 402 recharge structures will be built along river bunds, and nearly 200 tanks in industrial hubs such as Irungattukottai, Oragadam, and Pillaipakkam will be revived — helping reduce dependence on Chennai Metrowater by 115 MLD. Inter-basin linking measures, such as diverting water from Adyar to Palar and channelising flow from Kosasthalaiyar to Cooum, are also proposed.
Experts have emphasised that Chennai receives adequate rainfall annually and that restoring tanks, lakes, and aquifers — along with strict rainwater harvesting enforcement — will be key to the plan’s success.
Source: https://bit.ly/4mY2TzE
