Retteri will be developed as a drinking water source for Chennai: Minister

Chennai will have one more drinking water source. The waterbody in Retteri will be improved as a water source at a cost of ₹44 crore, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan told the State Assembly on Wednesday

Chennai will have one more drinking water source. The waterbody in Retteri will be improved as a water source at a cost of ₹44 crore, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan told the State Assembly on Wednesday.

The storage in Retteri would be doubled from the existing 62 million cubic feet to store more water for the city’s growing needs.

Mr. Duraimurugan said the reservoir operations would be automated in three city reservoirs of Poondi, Chembarambakkam and Red Hills for better flood management. The project to automate the shutter operations would be executed at a cost of ₹32 crore.

Water Resources Department will take up various works in Chennai and neighbouring districts to mitigate floods. Six works to mitigate floods in Adyar river basin in Chennai and Kancheepuram districts would be taken up at a cost of ₹88 crore.

Various canals, including those in Kolapakkam, Manapakkam and Gerugambakkam, would be desilted and widened for better flood carrying capacity. Similarly, regulators would be provided in eight waterbodies such as Korattur, Ambattur and Paruthipattu at a cost of ₹12 crore to manage heavy flow during floods.

Moreover, the department has allocated ₹20 crore for northeast monsoon preparedness work of several waterways and waterbodies in and around Chennai and surrounding districts and Cuddalore.