Latest news with #ChennaiMetrowater
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai Metrowater pilots robotic cleaning in sewage pumping stations to boost efficiency and workers' safety
After deploying robots to clean sewer lines in some city zones, Chennai Metrowater is now piloting the use of robotic technology in sewage pumping stations in Thiruvanmiyur. The initiative aims to enhance operational safety and efficiency by minimising manual intervention. The water agency has already added Bandicoot Mobility, a robot that cleans maintenance holes of the sewer network, to remove clogged waste in sewer lines in zone 6 ( 9 (Teynampet) and 13 (Adyar). With robotic devices, which were developed by Genrobotics, a Kerala-based startup, helping to reduce clogging of lines for a year now, the water agency is exploring other innovative technologies to improve maintenance of sewer infrastructure. Officials of the Metrowater said an advanced robot with remote control unit and cameras, Wilboar, is being used to clean the sewage wells in Thiruvanmiyur sewage pumping station on a pilot basis. The robotic unit developed by Genrobotics is lowered into the wells that have a depth of up to 10 metre to remove the silt. With high-pressure water jets and grinders, the device grinds accumulated sludge into finer particles and clears them. This would eliminate the challenges in the use of conventional processes, improve efficiency of cleaning sewer wells and reduce complaints of sewage overflow in the pipelines. The Thiruvanmiyur sewage pumping station has a capacity to handle 15 million litres of sewage a day. Such robotic devices are already in use at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, said officials. There are 375 sewage pumping stations in the city. Such robotic devices would be deployed in sewer well cleaning operations in other pumping stations following the success of the trial implementation. Rao, president, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Labourers Union, said it was a welcome initiative to ensure workers' safety and reduce manual intervention. Such efforts must be expanded to densely populated urban spaces and monitored for regular maintenance. Workers hired for sewer network maintenance should be redeployed to other roles. Nearly 2,850 labourers have been hired for sewer and water network maintenance in Chennai.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai will get its fourth desalination plant at Perur by February next year
Nearly 50% of the work to build the fourth desalination plant along East Coast Road in Perur has been completed so far. The speedy completion of the project will facilitate providing 24x7 piped water supply in the Adyar zone. Inspecting the works in progress to build the Rs. 6,078.40 crore desalination plant to treat 400 million litres of seawater a day (mld), Municipal Administration Minister instructed the officials to complete the work by February 2026. Preliminary work is in progress to lay 59-km long pipeline from the desalination plant to Porur and also build other distribution infrastructure like storage tank and pumping facility at Porur. Chennai Metrowater is also chalking out a project to improve its infrastructure in Pallipattu and Thiruvanmiyur distribution stations to enable round the clock water supply to Adyar zone residents. A press release said the water agency has laid lines to draw raw sea water and release brine into the sea. Work is being carried out to construct various units, including intake structure and pumping station, limestone filter, clear water reservoir and reverse osmosis building. Once the project is finished, nearly 22.67 lakh residents in both Greater Chennai Corporation and Tambaram corporation and 20 other village panchayats would be provided drinking water supply. Some of the areas to be covered including Manapakkam, Vandalur, Kilambakkam, Nandanam and Meenambakkam. also inspected the operation of two desalination plants at Nemmeli with capacity to treat 110 mld and 150 mld respectively. Officials from Chennai Metrowater and Chengalpattu district administration were also present.
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai Metrowater adds another sewage treatment plant to restore Villivakkam lake, supply recycled water
Chennai Metrowater will add one more sewage treatment plant with ultra filtration unit at Villivakkam by September. This would help rejuvenate Villivakkam lake and supply treated water for non-potable purposes through tankers. The upcoming Rs.17.90 crore plant would align with Chennai Metrowater's mission to shift towards the circular water economy where wastewater is recycled to minimise freshwater consumption. With a capacity to treat five million litres a day (mld) of sewage, a tertiary treatment plant using ultrafiltration (TTUF) is being established to maintain the standard of reclaimed water for potable use. Officials of the Metrowater recalled that the project was rolled out under Singara Chennai 2.0 as part of the restoration plan of the Villivakkam lake. This followed a directive of the National Green Tribunal. Nearly 75% of the work to construct a plant has been completed so far on a three-acre site near the lake. It would collect sewage from SIDCO Nagar pumping station, treat it and use a portion of treated water for gardening. The remaining recycled water would be disinfected by the ozonation process and discharged into Villivakkam lake. Residents of Villivakkam noted that it was a welcome initiative to restore the lake, which was heavily polluted. However, the project to rejuvenate the lake with recreational facilities is yet to be completed. a resident of Sannithi Street, Villivakkam, said the water agency must also improve the sewer infrastructure in SIDCO Nagar and streets like Kulakkarai Street to prevent sewage overflow. The water agency also plans to construct a filling point near the site to supply treated water for non-potable purposes, including construction, laundry and automative washing, through lorries. Listing out advantages of membrane bioreactor technology in the upcoming STP, J.R. Moses, Chief Executive Officer, Hubert Enviro Care Systems, which is implementing the project, said it had more advantages over conventional systems as it delivered better wastewater quality suitable for direct reuse and produced less sludge. This compact technology boasts a reduced footprint, making it ideal for urban areas with limited space. It can be highly automated, simplifying operations and maintenance, he said. The water agency looks to construct more such plants to recharge water bodies and increase the source for domestic supply. There are plans to step up the treatment capacity to 10 mld at Villivakkam in the next phase.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Damaged pipelines, dug-up roads leave Arumbakkam residents struggling
Residents of Arumbakkam have raised concerns about sewage overflowing from trenches dug for stormwater drain (SWD) work, as pipelines are frequently damaged. They have urged the authorities to expedite the work, citing the slow progress and dug-up roads as a danger to motorists and pedestrians. Arumbakkam is one of the city's low-lying areas prone to flooding during monsoon. 'It is a welcome initiative to improve the stormwater drain network to reduce waterlogging in the area. Many streets in Arumbakkam remain under sheets of water even after brief spells of the slow pace of work of SWD has been a huge inconvenience to residents. A motorist slipped and fell into the trench earlier this week,' said treasurer, Kannappa Nagar, Venkatakrishna Nagar Residents Welfare Association. The work to upgrade the existing SWD network started nearly two months ago. However the residents say, the sluggish progress has disrupted daily life. In the meantime, rainwater from nearby roads is drainingin to low- lying streets like Indira Gandhi Street. a resident of Indira Gandhi Street, said sewage has filled the trenches dug for the SWD, overflowing onto the remaining narrow stretch of the road, making it difficult to pass through. Several other streets, including Venkatakrishna Nagar first to fourth streets, Duraipillai Street, Sri Sakthi Nagar, are facing similar issues with sewage stagnating in trenches. Residents also warned that sewage stagnation in the trenches posed health risks and stressed the need to complete the work before Northeast Monsoon sets in. Officials from Chennai Metrowater said the agency was coordinating with the Greater Chennai Corporation to carry out and complete the SWD construction soon. They acknowledged that in some cases, water and sewer pipelines had been damaged during digging, and added steps were being immediately to pump out stagnant sewage and carry out repairs.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Pipeline work near Buckingham Canal to begin next week to carry treated sewage from Sholinganallur STP
Work is set to begin next week to lay a pipeline near the Buckingham Canal to discharge treated wastewater following the recent Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance. The project will enable the safe disposal of sewage treated in Sholinganallur sewage treatment plant (STP). With projects being carried out to implement comprehensive sewerage schemes in merged areas of south Chennai, the project was an imperative to discharge treated sewage into the major waterway, according to Chennai Metrowater. The CRZ clearance for the pipeline from the Sholinganallur STP, which can treat 36 million litres of sewage a day (mld), was obtained as the alignment of the effluent pipeline largely falls into two different CRZ categories. After obtaining the recent mandatory clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the water agency plans to start work in a few days to lay the pipeline designed for a peak sewage flow of 81 mld. The Sholinganallur STP would receive and treat wastewater from 11 areas, including Kottivakkam, Uthandi, Sholinganallur, Injambakkam and Semmenchery, and release it into the Buckingham canal through the proposed pipeline. The Ministry's expert appraisal committee has recommended that Chennai Metrowater install a continuous effluent quality monitoring system at the discharge point and develop a comprehensive ecological management plan for the Buckingham Canal. Residents noted that the environmental norms must be followed strictly to reduce sewage pollution in the canal. The ongoing works to cover the localities with an underground drainage network must also be completed before Northeast monsoon to facilitate the relaying of roads. G. Sathish, a resident of Semmenchery, said, 'Work to clear vegetation in the canal is in progress. Samples must be collected regularly in the waterway and STP and compared for their quality. Treated water can be used for social forestry along the banks of the Buckingham Canal. Restoring the major waterway will help groundwater recharge and prevent seawater intrusion.' Officials of the Metrowater said sewer lorries also decanted nearly 4 mld of sewage in the Sholinganallur STP. While sewer connections are being provided in areas like Karapakkam and Sholinganallur, the work has recently been completed in Pallikaranai. Projects worth ₹813 crores are progressing in various other localities. Various quality parameters for treated sewage would be tested before conveying to the canal. The work to lay the pipeline near the canal would be completed in two months, officials said.
