Conversations with Sri Sathya Sai on the Chennai Water Supply Project - Part 2

February 16, 2002 (Saturday)

Swami came out to the Ganesh portico and sat on the chair. He started talking about the Chennai Water Supply Project.

Swami : The Chennai government has agreed for the Water Supply Project. It is going to cost around 700 crores. (1 crore is 1,00,00,000) The engineers are very good people.

Swami went to the interview room to get the report of the planned project sent by the Chennai government. Swami opened the report and showed the map in which the places where the project was to be taken up. Swami mentioned about the Veeranam tank (a major tank attached to the Chidambaram Division of South Arcot in Tamil Nadu) from which water is to be supplied. Some of the places that would receive the water were the Cuddalore and Kanchipuram districts. Swami hinted that it would be a very difficult job to get the water from the Godavari river.

Swami then summoned someone to get the letter which was sent by a resident of the U.S. Swami showed it to some of the teachers present there. Swami then asked Prof. Anil Kumar to read out the contents of the project report. The report contained the extent to which the project was planned, the amount of water that would be available for drinking, the places which would receive it, the water treatment plant, the process of treatment, the type of pipes which are to be used, etc. The total project would cost Rs 720 crores including overheads and around Rs 635 crores without overheads. One of the teachers asked Swami whether this water project was for Kurnool, Chittoor, etc. Swami said that those were different from the Chennai project.

The Sathya Sai Water Supply Project to Chennai

Swami : The chief engineers (retired) and government engineers are coming from the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to discuss about the project and finalise it by Shivaratri. Many people are ready to work for this project. 

V. C. : Swami, around 60 lakh people will be getting that water.

Swami : 80 lakh people will be getting; it might even go to one crore. Giving water to one crore people is a highly meritorious deed indeed. Without asking Me they kept My name for the project. (The Water Project was named as Sathya Sai Ganga.)

Prof. A. K. : Swami, nobody else is capable of taking up such projects except You. Swami, how big is this project compared to the water supply project of the Rayalseema area.

Swami : It is three times more than that. A project of around 1,000 crores looks like a small number for them. Three zeros and a ‘one’ beside it.

Swami then got up and went to the birthday boys and blessed them. He then proceeded towards the interview room.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2001-2004)