Study on Chennai Basin water to help respond to water crises

Times of India , Saturday, April 25, 2009
Correspondent : BHAMA DEVI RAVI , TNN
CHENNAI: For the first time, a comprehensive study focussing on the city's water needs is being undertaken. The Chennai Basin water project report, currently under compilation, will be tabled by the end of this month. "Our studies show that, on an average, 60 litres of water per person are supplied per day, way below the international standard of 150 litres," said R Sakthivadivel, visiting professor, Centre for Water resources, Anna University, who is part of the study. "When water needs cannot be met, the impact on health and on society is massive," he added.

Part of a 18-month baseline study of a five-year project, it is a joint initiative of the centre for water studies, centre for climate change, centre for ocean management and centre for hyrdo-geology. A steering committee, comprising members of from these departments, met recently and decided on a project proposal on the climate change and adaptive mechanisms' for Tamil Nadu. The Chennai Basin proposal is the pilot project and will be scaled up in the coming years.

"There is no indigenous data as yet on climate change, its behaviour and how it has impacted our water resources, forests, bio-diversity and agriculture," said A Ramachandran, director, centre for climate change and adaptation, Anna University, "We need to develop regional data and analyse with local parameters. The aim is to have an integrated study and come up with a sub-regional model, and propose a protocol for adaptation to changes," he added.

"There have been extreme variations in climate in the recent past, and unless we undertake an extensive study, we will be unable to respond to crises in time," said P Sudhakar of the C P R Environmental Centre. "The baseline study will analyse 30 years of data and will look at water supply sources, who is consuming how much water, and the outbreak of diseases in the event of two consecutive years of drought," said Sakthivadivel.

The project will develop a model on climate variation which will analyse rainfall patterns and temperature, including its impact on evaporation and soil moisture

content. "We want to focus on the needs of the city initially, study the health impact on water borne diseases, and raise the bar on awareness," said Ramachandran.

The project, with an initial funding of Rs one crore from the government, will expand to cover oceanic eco-systems in the future.

 
SOURCE : Saturday, April 25, 2009
 


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