50-wagon train carrying 2.5 mn litres of water reaches Chennai

Chennai has been grappling with an acute water crisis over the past four months. The southern metropolis is facing a daily water deficit of at least 200 million litres.

1 / 7

The train with 50 tank wagons (BTPN), carrying 50,000 litres of water in each of them from Jolarpettai in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district, reached the filling station at the Integral Coach Factory in Villivakkam Friday afternoon.

2 / 7

Adorned by garlands and banana saplings with a poster "Water for Chennai", the train had left Jolarpet at 7:30 am. The train was supposed to reach Chennai on Thursday, but leakages in the valves led to the delay. Water Board officials had worked day and night to bring water from Jolarpet to Chennai by train.

3 / 7

The water is expected to be conveyed to the Kilpauk Water Works, three km away which is one of the facilities that feeds water to the metro. Around 100 inlet pipes installed near the railway tracks would be used to discharge 2.5 million litres of water in all the wagons to be sent to a treatment plant after passing through a conduit.

4 / 7

The southern metropolis is facing a daily water deficit of at least 200 million litres, and the four reservoirs supplying to the city have run dry. The rich haven't been spared either, but their suffering is nothing compared to the working class.

5 / 7

Rampant unplanned development, deficient monsoon last year coupled with inadequate urban planning has brought Chennai to its knees. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier requested the railways to help them ferry the water to the city.

6 / 7

Authorities are able to supply only 525 MLD in the current situation as the city faces an acute water shortage after failure of monsoons for the last two years.

7 / 7

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami had announced the state government's plans to transport 10 million litres of water daily by rail from Jolarpettai. He said a sum of Rs 65 crore had been allocated for this purpose.