The ₹471 Crore Coastal Shift: Building the Kovalam Water Project

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has submitted a proposal to the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNCZMA) seeking Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the construction of a major drinking water reservoir in the Kovalam sub-basin, located between ECR and OMR.

Announced in the 2025–26 State Budget, the project aims to convert 4,375 acres of coastal wetlands into Chennai’s sixth major reservoir, with a planned storage capacity of 1.655 tmcft and a supply potential of 170 MLD for southern and peri-urban regions of the city. The proposal was initially reviewed by the State Environmental Appraisal Committee (SEAC) on June 3. SEAC determined that prior environmental clearance was not required but emphasized the need for CRZ clearance since the project area falls within CRZ-I, II, III (NDZ), and IVB zones. The committee also recommended evaluating treatment technologies such as SBR-UF or MBBR-UF to avoid long-term deterioration of water quality. Technical feasibility was later confirmed by IIT-Madras.

Phase I of the project covers 1,770.5 hectares and includes bund excavation, construction of foreshore embankments, development of peripheral drains, and formation of a 17.71 sq. km freshwater lake. The estimated cost for this phase is ₹471 crore.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.