(MC)
NITI Aayog is working on a plan to set-up desalination plants along India’s 7,800-km coastline, according to a report . The plants will desalinate sea water which would then be supplied to population centres through a pipeline network. This comes at a time when severe water shortages have been observed in major urban areas such as Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made countrywide sufficient clean water supply by 2024 a top priority. According to the report, the plan is to set up floating desalination plants in India’s marine waters or build plants along the coast. Territorial waters a sovereign country extends up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. The maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) can be up to 200 nautical miles.
