Water supply and drainage facilities in Chennai’s suburbs will be strengthened at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore, announced Mr K.P. Munusamy, Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration. Replying to the debate in the Assembly on the demand for grants to Municipal Administration and Rural Development, he said the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board plans to implement a Rs 700-crore project to modernise the drinking water supply facilities in the suburbs which have been brought under the Chennai Corporation limits. The water utility, Metrowater, will also set up sewerage facilities at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore. The State Government had last year expanded the area coming under the Chennai Corporation, the city administration, to over 426 sq. km from the earlier 174 sq.km. The newly added areas covering 42 local bodies surrounding Chennai include Tiruvottriyur, Manali, Madhavaram to the North, Ambattur and Valasaravakam to the West and Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur to the South of the city.