CHENNAI: The State should prepare an urban water security plan to map, renew and protect water sources, both surface and ground water, according to suggestions made in the 12th Five Year Plan.Sources in the State Planning Commission told Express that the suggestions that were provided to address long-term water security needs of Tamil Nadu also stressed the need to implement strategies which include river basin renewal and management, ground water replenishment, creation of water grids and creation and maintenance of water catchment areas and reservoirs.Sources said that the report also suggested the need to develop a system and institutional accountability to periodically monitor and report groundwater table in all urban local bodies in all cities and towns.The suggestions also included initiating a mission mode exercise to map and rehabilitate water bodies in the State.“Along with this exercise, there is also a need to designate clear accountability for managing water bodies. At present, there is significant overlap in roles for managing water bodies among various agencies, including Chennai Metro Water, Public Works Department and urban local bodies and these need to be corrected on priority,” the sources said.Interestingly, the sources said that one of the main goals of the 12th Plan was to provide 135 litres per capita per day of piped water supply across all parts of the Chennai Corporation by 2017. Currently, over a third of the Corporations and Municipalities are provided with more than 110 litres per capita per day (LPCD) of water, nearly two-thirds continue to get average to poor supply that needs to be rectified on a priority, the sources added.
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