TN govt seeks CRZ clearance for new reservoir

To come up in 4,375 acres of coastal wetlands, project crucial to meet water needs of Chennai and nearby areas

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @Chennai

THE Water Resources Department (WRD) submitted a proposal last week to the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNCZMA) seeking Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for building a drinking water reservoir in the Kovalam sub-basin between East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR).

The project, announced by the government in the 2025-26 state budget, will require 4,375 acres of coastal wetlands to build what will be the sixth major reservoir in and around Chennai. Designed to hold 1.655 tmceft of freshwater, it is expected to supply 170 MLD of water to southern Chennai and fast-growing peri-urban pockets. As per the documents available with the TNIE, on June 3, the proposal first came before the State Environmental Appraisal Committee (SEAC) seeking environment clearance (EC). After deliberations, SEAC returned the proposal, stating that the reservoir does not fall under projects requiring prior EC, since it involves no river valley development, hydropower, tunnelling or mining.