TN Minister lays foundation stone for desalination plant

Chennai, Feb 25 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Local Administration Minister M K Stalin today laid the foundation stone for the Rs 510 crore-desalination plant with a capacity of 100 MLD, the largest in the country, at Minjur near here.

The plant is expected to be commissioned by July 2008.

The desalination plant was envisaged by the Tamil Nadu Government to meet the drinking water requirements of Chennai and neighbouring areas, which needed 1470 MLD as per the national standards, including commercial and industrial demand against the present supply level of 650 MLD.

The Government had issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to the Hyderabad-based IVRCL Infrastructure and Projects, which in association with BEFESA Construction Technology Ambiental, Spain, would construct the plant on DBOOT (Design, Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) basis for a period of 25 years.

The IVRCL Chairman and Managing Director E Sudhir Reddy said the cost of water for a kilo litre would be Rs 48.66, the cheapest in the world.

Of the total investment, Rs 138 crore would be raised through equity and the balance on borrowing loans from various nationalised banks.

The plant would come up on 30 acres of land.

The company would address all environmental issues and raise a bio-shield towards environment protection.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute had conducted an environmental study six months ago and suggested certain mitigation measures which would be implemented.

Union Ministers Dayanidhi Maran, T R Baalu and A Raja, State Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy and Fisheries Minister K P P Samy, were among those present on the occasion.

UNI