Download This PaperWater Supply in Chennai: Desalination and Missed Opportunities
Economic and Political Weekly, 47(23): 26-28, 2012
10 Pages Posted: 14 May 2012 Last revised: 5 Jun 2012
Date Written: May 14, 2012
Abstract
Desalination may provide a reliable supply of water to a city with chronic water shortage, but it is hardly the best option for more than one reason. Alternatives such as reuse of treated waste water can address the twin problems of water supply and waste discharge. Moreover, desalination only gets at the supply side of the issue, providing a false notion of water security. Ultimately, in a city that does not collect enough revenue to offset its costs, the real question is whether the gains in utility will be retained in the long-term.
Keywords: Chennai, desalination, water supply, wastewater reuse
JEL Classification: O21, O33, Q21, Q25, R11
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