Buildings are experimenting with alternative energy with small wind turbines on rooftops

In the last few weeks, the city has had a respite from its daily burden of two-hour power cuts — wind energy has helped reduce load shedding to one hour a day. Thanks to the huge wind turbines that dot the State's southern coast, much-needed power is supplied to grids. Of late, some buildings in the city have begun to take their own measures to go green. Small wind turbines have cropped up on several rooftops.

In a bid to bring in uniformity in water charges collected, as well as in the accounting systems in the expanded areas of the city, Chennai Metrowater will soon appoint a consultancy firm. The chosen firm will also identify and evaluate infrastructure and study the facilities available in the added areas. Metrowater has entrusted this work to the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited.

The 42 local bodies that were merged with the Chennai Corporation recently, have different rates of monthly water charges collected from residents, as well as different systems of accounting for these charges.

Contractors stay away from projects citing lack of profit

It has been over four months since the government ordered the rejuvenation of four water bodies in the city suburbs. But, the project is yet to take off as no bidders have come forward so far. The Water Resources Department had issued a Government Order in December about desilting water bodies in Cholavaram, Nemam, Porur and Ayanampakkam to create additional storage that could used to supply water for the city.

Unauthorised manufacturing units mushroom as consumption goes up by 15%

Areas abutting the city are increasingly dotted with packaged drinking water industrial units. A minimum of 30 plants have come up over the last year in the neighbouring districts. The rising demand for water this summer has also paved the way for the sale of sub-standard quality of water and operation of unauthorised units.

Work to construct rainwater harvesting structures in stormwater drain network to begin next month

Work on construction of rainwater harvesting structures in stormwater drains by the Chennai Corporation is expected to begin in May when the water table is the lowest in the city. The civic body had announced that over 5,000 rainwater harvesting structures would come up across the city.

Water bodies, big or small, assume great importance as sources of storage and groundwater recharge — but they are also easy prey for abuse. Three such long-neglected lakes will be rejuvenated next month, with the State government proposing to turn them into drinking water sources to meet the growing demands of the expanded city.

Tiruvallur district will soon get its fifth reservoir to meet the growing drinking needs of Chennai. The Water Resources Department has initiated the process by inviting bids from firms for consultancy service to conduct environment studies for the project.

The consultants are required to get clearance from Environment Impact Assessment Authority of Central government for the proposed reservoir with a capacity to hold up to one thousand million cubic feet of water, by filling it twice.

They are setting up sewage and effluent treatment plants

Many industrial estates in the city are setting up sewage and effluent treatment plants in an effort to promote eco-friendly practices and reduce burden on civic agencies. The industrial estate in Ambattur is the forerunner among the estates with two sewage treatment plants set up in north and south phase.

Major restoration project drawn up for waterbodies in Tiruvallur district

Though the onset of northeast monsoon is still a month away, the water level at Poondi reservoir has already reached the brim. In a bid to stock resources, one of the shutters was opened on Thursday to transfer water to Cholavaram reservoir.