CHENNAI: The city’s drinking water reserves have recorded a significant improvement this year, promising respite from shortage that marks the summer months.
As of Sunday, the combined storage in the city’s reservoirs stood at 68.87%, the highest recorded in the past four years during the same period.
According to data from the Water Resources Department accessed by TNIE, inflow into the Poondi reservoir has seen a sharp rise. The inflow was only 330 cusecs and the storage level stood at 4.39% during this time last year.
However, on Sunday, the inflow touched 680 cusecs and the storage was 77.93%. This shows the inflow has gone up by more than 106%. A senior WRD official told TNIE that Tamil Nadu had received only 2,412 million cubic feet (mcft) of water from Kandaleru reservoir during the same period last year.
“This year, it has already increased to 3,595 mcft. The southwest monsoon has also brought good rains in the catchment areas of the Poondi reservoir, which has further helped in increasing storage,” the official said.
He added that the present storage levels will play a key role in meeting the city’s drinking water requirements during summer next year.
As regards the Chembarambakkam reservoir, the storage was 1.117 tmcft (30.64%) last year. On Sunday, it stood at 1,755 mcft (48.15%). Another senior official expressed hope that the levels would go up if the city receives more rainfall during the northwest monsoon from which Tamil Nadu usually gets most of its annual rainfall.
He also said that monsoon preparedness works have been taken up in and around the city. Steps are being made to avoid water stagnation in residential areas.