Nemmeli’s Jellyfish Crisis: South Chennai Water Disrupted

A severe and unprecedented jellyfish bloom off the Nemmeli coast disrupted daily operations at Chennai’s key desalination plants last week, severely straining the drinking water supply across south Chennai.

The event—marked by larger jellyfish than in previous years—coincided with power supply interruptions and damaged infrastructure, pushing production levels down to nearly half capacity before hitting a low point on July 18.

In response, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) has engaged researchers at IIT Madras and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) to analyze the oceanographic event and develop preventative systems. Metro Water confirms that operations at both the 150 MLD and 110 MLD plants have since stabilized, with auxiliary water supply fleets deployed to support recovering neighborhoods like Velachery.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.