Third-party assessor to help resume Minjur desal plant ops

Chennai: Metrowater has hired a third-party assessor to study the 100MLD Minjur desal plant, which has been defunct for years now, technically and financially.The contractor will examine engineering issues with the plant, current production status, capacity, and functionality of specific parts that need replacement. The contractor will also assess the finance required to recommission the plant and the dues Metrowater owes its previous contractor.The plant was set up in 2010. After Metrowater terminated the contract, the concessionaire went into arbitration. It was resolved recently. Metrowater MD T G Vinay said the financial assessment of the plant must be done to determine the value of assets. "This will give an idea of how much we need to pay the concessionaire who was terminated as per court order. The plant will be running in three months," he said.Though the plant has a 100MLD capacity, it barely produced 60MLD to 70MLD a day, covering limited neighbourhoods. In 2023, the contract was terminated, and the plant became defunct. The issue recently flared up in the state assembly when former MAWS minister S P Velumani questioned the govt about why the plant was defunct. MAWS minister K N Nehru responded that the plant will resume operations soon.As the plant is defunct, several north Chennai neighbourhoods, including Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, and Tondiarpet, continue to rely on private and Metrowater tanks. "We spend at least 3,000 a month despite paying water taxes. Even if Metrowater fixes the plant, they must scale up the production to at least 250MLD as North Chennai now has more gated communities with increased demand," said R Avinash, a resident of Tondiarpet.