The Water Resources Department (WRD) has discussed a proposal with the World Bank to implement the Integrated Water Security project for Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), with an estimated Rs 5,000 crore loan.

The project aims to improve resilience to droughts and floods and will be submitted for State government approval once feasibility is finalized. WRD presented 40 projects focused on long-term water security, prioritizing low-cost initiatives. Key components include water conservation, institutional strengthening, and improving water use efficiency. The World Bank is ready to fund the projects. The WRD projects that CMA's water demand will reach 3,700 million litres per day by 2050.

One major proposal is increasing the storage capacity of the Poondi reservoir by 700 million cubic ft., costing Rs 619 crore. Another proposal to be prioritised involves restoring Thirunindravur lake to provide drinking water for Avadi. A Rs 155 crore project to improve canals feeding major reservoirs was also discussed, along with real-time monitoring systems to optimize water use.