Indian state chief minister pushes for third Chennai desalination plant

Chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam, has pushed the case for a third desalination plant for the city of Chennai.

Addressing a meeting of state finance ministers in New Delhi as part of the preparation of the Union budget, he said Tamil Nadu state had already promised to provide financial support for a 150 Ml/d desalination plant in Chennai proposed at a cost of Rs.1,371 crore (US$ 216 million) that could be sanctioned in the forthcoming budget.

Pointing out that the implementation of infrastructure projects was a “major concern” and the Public-Private Partnership approach had not yet provided the much-needed impetus for investment, the chief minister wanted the Union government to set up an infrastructure fund as a line of credit to provide long-term finance of over 12 years.