CHENNAI: Rains have failed Chennai again this year as the city may face a water crisis due to dwindling water levels in the reservoir.
Water managers are pinning their hopes on rains which is expected this month. “We are expecting rains in the month of July and August so that we can continue supplying water to the city,” said a Metro Water source.
This is the third consecutive year that the rains have failed Chennai. “Usually, we tend to get good rains in the month of June. But this year, it has been minimal,” said the source.
Currently, the city has 1.18 TMC feet of water in Poondi, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam reservoirs. Last year, during the same period there was 2.41 TMC feet of water.
As there is an uneven rise in temperature, worries are also mounting as to how long the ground water can last. “If it doesn’t rain then the city could face a crisis,” said a Metro Water source.
Surprisingly, Chennai Metro Water has already put its contingency plan into action. “We are already providing 100 MLD of water through agriculture wells. Besides, we are also filling up 6,000 High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) tanks,” said a Metro water official. “We are also trying to build 2,000 more HDPE tanks,” he said.
Chennai Metro Water has also increased it supply of water through its water lorries. “Normally we supply water through 3,700 water tankers in every nook and cranny of the city. Now, we have increased the fleet to 4,500 water tankers a day,” said the official.
Currently, the city’s drinking water needs are being met through desalination plants, Veeranam as well as ground water. However, these are limited resources as Chennai Metro Water is looking up to skies to open so that the city can be ensured of a constant water supply.