The metropolis will soon have its fourth desalination plant as the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) has floated pre-qualification bids inviting interested international firms to construct the plant. The desalination plant, with a capacity of 400 MLD (million litres per day), will come up at Perur along East Coast Road.
Chennai:
According to a Metro Water official, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would provide funds for the construction of the desalination plant. The State government had already accorded administrative sanction for Rs 6,078 crore. While JICA would sanction Rs 4,267 crore, the State would spend the remaining amount.
“Detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared and the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearances have already been availed from the Central government,” the official said.
As per the bid documents, the potential bidder would operate the desalination plant for 20 years apart from designing and building the plant. Also, bids for construction would be called after eligible bidders are shortlisted during the pre-qualification bidding process in February next year.
The first desalination plant for the city was set up in 2003 to supply 90 MLD of water to northern parts of the city. Another plant in Nemmeli, with a capacity of 90 MLD, is supplying drinking water to southern parts of the city.
Meanwhile, the construction works for 150 MLD desalination plant at Nemmeli have already begun. Once the works are completed at Nemmeli and Perur, the city would receive 730 MLD of drinking water from desalination plants by 2024, which would also ensure all-weather water supply.
Apart from the huge desalination plants, the Metro Water is also working on to create decentralised desalination plants at Kasimedu, Triplicane and Tiruvanmiyur with 10 MLD capacity. The smaller plants would provide drinking water to certain areas around the plants. Desalination plants function using seawater reverse osmosis technology.
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