The Water Resources Department is set to issue work order to create sixth reservoir for Chennai along East Coast Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai near Thiruporur.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is likely to lay foundation stone for the ₹350 crore project in the Kovalam basin, marking a key step in augmenting the burgeoning city’s water storage capacity.
With a capacity to store 1.65 thousand million cubic feet of water, the new reservoir that is to be created covering land parcel between Thiruvidanthai and Mamallapuram would be spread over an area of 4,375 acre under the phase I. The site would be bound by ECR on one side and Rajiv Gandhi Salai on another side and stretch along 11 revenue villages in Thirukazhukundram and Thiruporur taluks.
Officials of the WRD said with the Coastal Regulation Zone clearance obtained and the tender process finalised, the work is set to kick off soon to form earthen bund extending for about 30 km. Besides surface runoff from catchment area, surplus water from 69 tanks, including Thaiyur, Manamathy and Sirudavur group of tanks would be fed into the reservoir.
It would have an annual capacity of 2.25 tmcft when filled twice and a potential of providing 170 million litres of water daily, every year. The work would be carried out in land area, including those belonging to WRD and revenue and those leased to Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation, without any land acquisition.
The new reservoir would also cater to drinking water requirements of local residents, including Paiyanur, Thandalam, Thiruporur, Thiruvidanthai Kadambadi and Mamallapuram, apart from serving water requirements of Chennai’s added areas such as Sholinganallur and Medavakkam and Pallikaranai, said officials.
Pointing out at Chennai Metrowater’s assessment on water demand, officials said the water demand is estimated to be 2,178 mld in 2050 in GCC alone. The total water demand for Chennai Metropolitan Area is expected to be 3,746 mld. The reservoir would act as flood buffer and recharge groundwater.
Besides construction of regulators and peripheral drains, the department also plans to revive a defunct portion of Buckingham canal between Muttukadu and Kokilamedu for 10 km. “Some portions of the canal near estuaries are alive. Once the portions are desilted and widened by a minimum of 25 metre, it will support livelihood of the fishing community,” said an official.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in two years. The overall storage capacity of city reservoirs would be augmented to 15.25 tmc from the present 13.10 tmc, officials added.
Published – December 24, 2025 07:34 pm IST
