Despite repeated assurances, grand announcements and major investments, a reliable piped water supply remains out of reach for most neighbourhoods along Chennai’s Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). While desalination plants and infrastructure projects have been showcased as solutions over the years, residents continue to depend on costly tanker water or increasingly brackish groundwater.
Two Decades of Delayed Commitments
The cycle of promise began in 2004, when then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced central support for a desalination plant near Chennai. His 2008–09 Union Budget reiterated that commitment with a ₹300‑crore allocation, giving OMR residents hope of long‑awaited relief.
Between 2005 and 2010, this optimism helped fuel rapid development along East Coast Road (ECR) and OMR, areas later brought under the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). It seemed only a matter of time before piped water reached the IT corridor.
The Nemmeli Desalination Plants: Big Expectations, Limited Benefits
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Nemmeli desalination plant in January 2009 with a central grant of ₹871.24 crore. Project documents explicitly listed OMR neighbourhoods—including Sholinganallur, Thoraipakkam, Perungudi and Semmenchery—as beneficiaries.
When the 110 MLD Phase 1 plant became operational in 2013, residents waited for clarity on allocations. None came. Water reached southern Chennai, but without dedicated infrastructure, the IT corridor continued to be bypassed.
The pattern repeated with the 150 MLD Phase 2 plant commissioned in February 2024. Of its entire capacity, only 15 MLD—a mere 10%—was earmarked for OMR’s IT sector, select industries, and a handful of streets between Sholinganallur, SRP Junction and Perungudi. Meanwhile, the bulk of the supply flowed to 14 other neighbourhoods including Velachery, Pallavaram, Alandur, Medavakkam and Madipakkam.
Residents questioning this discrepancy were urged to wait for the next promise on the horizon: the upcoming 400 MLD Perur desalination plant.
The 2025 Water Shock
OMR’s fragile water system was exposed in June 2025 when Metrowater slashed supply to OMR and Sholinganallur by 75% after restrictions on tanker operations. Homeowners who had invested lakhs in taxes and crores in properties found themselves battling severe shortages—nearly twenty years after the first desalination project was announced for their benefit.
A New Reservoir, Familiar Concerns
The Tamil Nadu Budget 2025–26 introduced another ambitious plan: Chennai’s sixth major reservoir, located in the Kovalam sub‑basin between ECR and OMR. Spread across 4,375 acres, the reservoir is projected to store 1.655 tmc of freshwater and supply 170 MLD to “southern Chennai and fast‑growing peri‑urban pockets.”
The ₹471‑crore project will tap inflows from 69 upstream irrigation tanks and create a 17.71 sq km freshwater lake. Tenders worth ₹326 crore have already been floated.
Yet, for OMR residents, optimism is tempered by years of unfulfilled assurances. Even if approvals are fast‑tracked, construction will take years—and there is no certainty that OMR will receive a significant share of the 170 MLD supply.
A Consistent Pattern of Neglect
The recurring theme is unmistakable: OMR is highlighted prominently in proposals and political announcements, but sidelined when water allocation is finalised. Pipelines pass through the IT corridor, reservoirs are dug nearby, and billions are spent—but the actual flow to OMR households remains minimal.
Established neighbourhoods take priority. Industrial demands influence distribution. Political considerations dictate supply. And Chennai’s key IT corridor—home to major global companies and high‑value residential developments—continues to struggle for reliable piped water.
The High Cost of Broken Promises
The consequences are steep. Private tanker water costs between ₹900 and ₹2,000, depending on demand and season. Resident welfare associations spend countless hours managing water logistics instead of community initiatives. Commercial establishments face operational strain. Property values take hits due to chronic water insecurity.
For many along OMR, the frustration is not merely about water scarcity—it’s about two decades of promises that have failed to materialise.
(Source: Citizen Matters)