Chennai, Jan 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, on Monday, laid the foundation stone for the Mamallan Reservoir Project at Nemmeli on the East Coast Road (ECR) in Chengalpattu district, marking a significant step toward strengthening water security for Chennai's rapidly growing southern suburbs.
The Rs 342.60-crore project, to be implemented by the Water Resources Department, aims to augment drinking water supply and improve long-term water management in the region.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Stalin underscored the importance of water governance, saying that water management is as critical as financial management for a country.
He noted that Tamil civilisation has historically evolved around waterbodies, with settlements traditionally developing near sustainable water sources.
"This project will be remembered in history as one that benefitted Chennai's growing regions, " he said.
Recalling the Pallava era, the Chief Minister said the Pallava rulers had created 39 lakes in the Kancheepuram region to ensure water security and had established a dedicated system for maintaining waterbodies.
He added that Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman I, known as 'Mamallan', founded Mamallapuram.
"Since the new reservoir is coming up near this historic region, it is appropriate to name it the Mamallan Reservoir, " CM Stalin said.
Responding to criticism against the DMK government, CM Stalin said that some people were spreading false narratives that the state government had not built reservoirs.
Countering the allegations, he added that between 1967 and 2011, during DMK administrations, a total of 43 reservoirs were constructed across Tamil Nadu, and he read out their names to rebut the allegations.
Highlighting the DMK government's achievements in the water sector, CM Stalin said the Mettur dam had been opened on time for the past five years, Cauvery delta restoration projects had been initiated to benefit farmers, and large-scale infrastructure works had been undertaken.
These include 121 check dams, 63 anaicuts, desilting of more than 40, 000 lakes, and restoration of about 1.3 lakh kilometres of drains, he added.
He also referred to the Thamirabarani–Karumeniyar–Nambiyar interlinking canal project launched in February last year.
Explaining the Mamallan Reservoir project, the Chief Minister said it would come up in the Kovalam basin, covering areas between Thiruporur and Thirukazhukundram along the ECR–OMR stretch.
Spread over 5, 100 acres with a storage capacity of 1.65 TMC and a 34-km-long bund, the reservoir will prevent surplus water from Manamathi lake from draining into the sea.
Instead, it will store water between Thiruvandandhai and Kokilamedu, supply 170 million litres per day, benefit around 13 lakh people in areas including Sholinganallur, Medavakkam, Pallikaranai, Siruseri and Mamallapuram, prevent seawater intrusion, and aid fishermen through the restoration of a 15-km stretch of the Buckingham Canal with assured fishing rights.