Chennai gets about 10 tmc ft under the proposed Godavari–Cauvery link project

Chennai has been allocated about 10 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) under the proposed Godavari–Cauvery link project for drinking water and industrial requirements.

This quantity forms part of the State’s overall allocation of 41 tmc ft. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA), which has been holding discussions with States concerned on the link project (officially called the Godavari - Krishna – Pennar – Manimuktanadhi river link project), has proposed to divert 148 tmc ft of water from the Godavari river initially. (The Manimuktanadhi river,  a tributary of Vellar, flows south of the Cauvery – Kattalai barrage.)

Of the total 41 tmc ft, the quantum will be apportioned among different requirements as 17.2 tmc ft - irrigation; 21.8 tmc ft - drinking water and industrial use and the balance for losses. Of the earmarked 21.8 tmc ft, nearly one half - 10.1 tmc ft - has been set apart for Chennai, according to a perusal of the policy note of the Water Resources Department for 2024-25, as presented by the Minister concerned, Duraimurugan, to the Assembly on Friday. 

The off-take point for Chennai from the proposed link project will be near Nagari on the inter-State border, upstream of the Zero Point of the Kandaleru-Poondi Canal. an official points out.

On June 11, the Tamil Nadu government sent its response to the NWDA for the draft memorandum of agreement for implementing the Godavari (Inchampalli Barrage) – Cauvery link project.  

The State has been able to get the agency to change the alignment of the proposed link canal. This follows  after it expressed  its support for the link project and urged the Centre to obtain consensus from the party States for the early implementation of the link at a meeting of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers in December 2023

Instead of terminating at the Grand Anicut, the canal will now culminate in the Manimuktanadhi, after being taken to a higher contour and crossing  the Palar-Dusimamandur tank. But, the State is for taking the canal as close to the Kattalai barrage as possible, another official says. Ideally, it wants the barrage or Ayyar river (upsteam of Kattalai) to be the terminating point. This will benefit dry districts such as Perambalur and Karur too. 

The State has also been pressing the Centre to provide 200 tmc ft of water eventually during the second and third phase of the Godavari-Cauvery link canal when the diversion from Brahmaputra-Mahanadi link takes place.