WATER – WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

According to the Tamil Nadu Act 28 of 1978 (Section 5), the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is in charge of “promoting or securing the planned development, efficient operation, maintenance and regulation of water supply and sewerage system in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.”   The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), in turn consists of Chennai Corporation, 16 municipalities, 20 town panchayats, 214 village panchayats in 10 panchayat unions.  The entire CMA consists of 1189 square kilometers.

Although the CMWSSB should be providing water for the entire CMA, per discussions with multiple MetroWater officials, it is in fact only claiming responsibility for the Chennai Corporation, which currently consists of 174 square kilometers.  Most ULBs work with the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD) for systems design and implementation.  The amount of water they scheduled to receive varies according to their administrative status (town panchayat, village panchayat, etc—see table 1 under “background”) and feasibility as determined by the TWAD’s Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

While it is true that CMWSSB is providing bulk water supply and some infrastructural investments to urban local bodies (ULBs), this is not because they have a responsibility to do so, but because ULBs have requested to enter into contractual agreements to purchase bulk MetroWater supply.  The ULBs are still responsible for installing local household connections to the MetroWater supply.  Many ULBs who receive MetroWater lack the local technical capacity for operations and maintenance.  This lack is creates a bottleneck in receipt of additional CMWSSB supply.  As a result, some ULBs such as Valasaravakkam, are hiring private companies for operations and maintenance.

According to a government order issued in December 2009, the Corporation of Chennai will expand to include 42 surrounding ULBs:  9 municipalities, 8 town panchayats, and 25 village panchayats.  In preparation, the CMWSSB is also extending its water supply services into these local bodies.  It is doing this gradually, supposedly without preferential treatment to certain regions, and still under the process whereby local bodies request, contract, and pay for CMWSSB services that are outlined in a Detailed Project Report prepared by CMWSSB.  According to a CMWSSB official, in the future, the goal is to have MetroWater responsible for water supply to the entire expanded Corporation area.

For problems or concerns within the Corporation, citizens should contact their zonal Area Engineer.  A list can be found here.

For problems or concerns outside the Corporation, citizens should contact their ULB administration that will have an engineer, public works officer, or some commissioner.  A list can be found here.