NITI Aayog is working on a plan to set-up desalination plants along India’s 7,800-km coastline, according to a report in The Economic Times. 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.

India’s maritime EEZ is estimated to be 1.63 million square km. The plants will seek to use solar energy or ocean energy for operation, making them energy efficient.

The Aayog is expected to come up with a detailed plan about various technologies that can be used in different states to help set up commercially viable plants, the report suggests. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

The government’s policy think tank will handhold the newly formed Jal Shakti Ministry and provide it with cost analysis and project viability report for these plants, the report adds.