CWDL Eia - Mullai

An Eia report
on
Chennai water desalination
plant, minjur
N MULLAI,
ME Environmental Management,
2010216005
Project description
• Conversion of sea water to drinking water
scheme
• Augmentation of water supply to chennai
city by setting up a 100 MLD Seawater
Desalination Plant in Kattupalli village,
near at Minjur, north Chennai
Project activities
• Site preparation
• Drawing sea water of 237 MLD through an intake
system comprising of intake head and submarine
pipeline (or) from the existing NCTPS intake collection
sump located inland
• Pump house
• Pre-treatment including flocculation-coagulation, gravity
settling, two steps filtration, ultra-filtration and chemical
dosing
• Desalting of sea water using reverse osmosis
• Discharge of brine of 137 MLD at sea using submarine
pipeline and diffuser ports outfall system
• Related electrical and mechanical installations
scoping
 The proposed activity in the identified
coastal region will have a direct relevance
on the key issues like fishing - marine
pollution - land use - industrialization -
human welfare
ALTERNATIVES
• Drinking water supply can be explored
from different sources, but no such
sources are available to meet the acute
shortage of drinking water supply of the
Chennai city
• Ground water source is also not viable to
meet such large requirement
ZERO ALTERNATIVES
If the project is not installed, the effect will be
more detrimental to
1. Drinking water supply
2. Economical growth of the Chennai
Metropolitan city and in turn the Tamilnadu
state
3. Human welfare
4. Regional development
BASELINE DATA
• The baseline data were collected along three
transects separated each by 2.5 km apart with
three sampling stations
• The study area covers around 30 sqkm
• Physical parameters, water quality parameters,
sediment quality parameters, biological
parameters of the study area were collected
Water quality parameters
Biochemical Oxygen Demand in
seawater
Metal concentration in sea
water
results
• The coastal region adjoining the intake-outfall
system comprises of fairly wide beaches with well-
defined foreshore, elevated backshore and with
small dunes at some places
• Wave action prevails high during southwest
monsoon and northeast monsoon
• Examination of water quality of this region
indicated that they do not differ substantially both
in vertical and spatial directions
• The marine flora and fauna also indicate the
existence of diverse population
Impact assessment
Providing seawater intake and the brine
reject outfall for the development of
desalination plant with submarine pipelines
will have marginal magnitude of impact on
1. Sea water
2. Marine ecology
3. Land use
4. Community
Negative impacts
• The laying of submarine pipeline into the sea
would affect the flow pattern at the sea bottom
initially
• Young fishes may undergo shock and physical
damages, and become prey to predators because
of the screen near intake
• The residual chlorine present in the return water
will affect the animal community living in the area
• The brine discharge into the sea would initially rise
the salinity of the water
• The positioning of pipeline in the sea will interfere
Prediction of impacts
The activities which need the prediction of
impacts are:
1. Sea water intake
2. Return water outfall
3. Submarine pipeline
4. Brine reject
Mitigation measures
• The intake head can be designed in cylindrical form to
avoid interference of currents
• The intake screen can be designed with small openings
with velocity cap and trash bars to minimize the entry of
small marine organisms, fish larvae and fishes
• The outfall can be designed with proper ports, which can
increase the mixing of the brine discharge
• The top of intake head and outfall diffuser can be kept
well below the sea surface so that it will not cause
obstruction to the movement of boat and craft
• The pipeline should be buried in the beach so that the
movement of men and materials will not be affected.
• The return brine may be discharged at a location where
maximum dilution takes place within a short time of
discharge so that the detrimental effect is minimum
MARINE ENVIRONMENT
MANAGEMENT PLAN
The major management plan is required for
a) proper locations
b) appropriate design, control and flow of intake
and outfall
c) regulation of boats movement
d) preservation of nearshore ecology
e) preservation of social life.
POST PROJECT MONITORING
Parameters to be monitored are
1. Dispersion of brine reject
2. Sea floor changes and underwater
ecology
3. Water quality
4. Biological parameters
Conclusion
The project can be accepted due to the following reasons
1. The impact due to the installation of pipelines is
confined to a limited time span at the time of
construction
2. The impact due to this project will be restricted to a
smaller area within 500 m radius
3. The expected impact on climate and soil condition are
negligible
Despite various initial impact on the environment, the
benefits due to this project outweigh such initial adverse
impacts since the project would prove extremely beneficial
for the Chennai Metropolitan city and the people living in
the city.

CWDL Eia - Mullai

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