In May 2018, The New Indian Express reported that the environment ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had backed Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval for the planned desalination plant at Perur near Nemmeli. The reverse osmosis plant, sized at 400 million litres per day (400,000 m³/day) in Kancheepuram district, was put at 3,912 crore rupees and proposed by Chennai's water utility CMWSSB. Conditions included a tsunami-resistant site raised by 6.5 metres, a shift inland and full liability for environmental damage. In November 2017, the panel had deferred the project.
The report showed how strongly coastal environmental rules shaped large desalination projects in Tamil Nadu: approval came only after a site inspection and was tied to erosion control and liability for damage.
Source: The New Indian Express