Examination of water problem of Chennai: possible solutions and the role of private sector

Abstract

Chennai City has been facing drinking water problem for the past several decades and an enduring solution has been defying the City all these years. Unlike Delhi and Kolkata, which are served by perennial rivers, and Mumbai, which is generously blessed by monsoon rains stored in lakes at the foothills of Western Ghats, Chennai does not have any perennial source of water nearby. As the city attracts more and more migrants from the rural hinterlands the foremost concern of the Policy Makers is to find a long-lasting solution for the water problem. This dissertation is divided into seven Chapters. The first Chapter gives a general description of the City, the pattern of rainfall, its topography and the history of its over the years and introduces the drinking water problem and Research Objectives. The second Chapter deals with Review of Literature on the subject of Privatization of drinking water supply. The viewpoints of critics for and against Privatization is discussed along with Privatization efforts in other part of the globe notably Israel, USA and Argentina. The third Chapter deals with the Research Methodology. The methodology adopted is an exploratory analysis largely based on information furnished by respondents to questionnaires for Officials in CMWSSB to gauge their attitude towards unaccounted for water and questionnaire for private players in water supply. I have also prepared questionnaire for the consumers in one area where distribution, billing and collection have been privatised. In addition I have made extensive use of secondary data from files, Annual Reports of CMWSSB, Master Plan for Water Supply, Volumes I and II by Tata Consulting Engineers. I have conducted in-depth interviews with policy elite in Secretariat, CMWSSB, PWD and other Offices. Chapter four deals with the Analysis of Information elicited from the questionnaires. In this Chapter I have attempted to arrive at the demand supply gap for water and given the water shortage suggest suitable solutions including the participation of My focus has been to study how the private sector is providing services, what is the quality of service, what are the constraints the private sector is facing in its operation and how these constraints can be overcome. Chapter five deals with Policy Suggestions and Recommendations. The solutions consist of augmentation measures chiefly from Telugu Ganga and New Veeranam Project and water conservation measures such as rainwater harvesting and reduction of unaccounted for water. Chapter Six and Seven pertains to Appendix and Bibliography. I have come to the conclusion that no single solution can solve the water problem of Chennai and we need to have a basket of solutions.