Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for third desalination plant at Nemmeli on East Coast Road in outskirts of Chennai on Thursday morning.
The plant will treat 150 million liters of water every day to cater to drinking water needs of south Chennai residents. The project is expected to be completed in 2021. Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced this project when she commissioned the first plant in Nemmeli in 2012.
The union environment ministry cleared the project in October 2018. A work order was given by the TN government last month. Chennai already has two functional desalination plants.
While inaugurating the Nemmili plant, the chief minister Edapadi Palaniswami said that the government is upholding the plans announced by Amma. "We will take all steps to ensure the water schemes announced by Amma and make it a reality to solve the water crisis in Chennai," he said.
He further added that the state government is researching the locations where the water can be used. He said, "In two weeks the water from Jollarpet will be brought to Chennai. Rain is the main cause of the issue. Rain can only help in increasing the ground water level."