North Chennai to Receive Extra Hour of Water Daily by 2025 Under ₹19.4 Crore Project
In a significant move to alleviate the ongoing water scarcity issues in North Chennai, over 1.28 lakh residents in the areas of Korukkupet and Perambur are set to receive an additional hour of piped water supply daily. This will come into effect by August 2025 as part of the 19.4 crore Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam initiative. The project aims to enhance the daily water supply to 13 million litres per day (mld) across 25,671 households in these wards, which have long struggled with inadequate water provision.
Currently, the residents rely on a meagre 7.1 mld of water delivered for just 20 minutes to an hour each day via a network of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) tanks and water tanker trips. These systems have often failed to meet demand, resulting in homes that receive little to no water and complaints about water quality, which is sometimes contaminated due to the old and damaged pipeline infrastructure. The new initiative, which includes the construction of two tanks—a 10 mld underground tank and a 3 mld overhead tank—will address the gap by tapping water from the Redhills reservoir through a pipeline extending from Madhavaram.
Once operational, the upgraded water supply system will not only increase the volume of water available to residents but will also enhance distribution efficiency. The project will reduce the dependence on HDPE tanks, from 643 to just 160, and cut down water tanker trips from 94 to 21. This improvement will significantly reduce the logistical challenges faced by Metrowater officials and provide a more consistent and reliable water supply to residents who have long struggled with shortages. The project is part of the city’s broader efforts to modernise and strengthen its water infrastructure, which is essential to supporting the growing urban population.
From a sustainability perspective, this initiative marks a crucial step in improving urban water management and reducing wastage. By decreasing the reliance on tanker deliveries, which are both energy-intensive and environmentally taxing, the project aligns with broader sustainability goals. Moreover, by ensuring a more equitable distribution of water, it addresses the pressing civic issue of urban inequality, where marginalised communities often face the brunt of inadequate infrastructure. As the project progresses, it will provide a blueprint for tackling similar issues in other parts of Chennai and beyond.