CHENNAI: The Water Resources Department (WRD) began releasing 1,000 cusecs of surplus water from the Poondi reservoir, a key drinking water source for Chennai and its suburbs, starting 9 am on Friday.
According to an official release, the reservoir’s water level reached 34.92 feet against its full depth of 35 feet. The storage stood at 3.121 tmcft, close to its total capacity of 3.231 tmcft, as of 6 am on Friday.
Explaining the decision to release surplus water, the WRD stated, “The reservoir received an inflow of 1,290 cusecs due to persistent rains in catchment areas. Additionally, Andhra Pradesh released 1,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from the Krishnapuram Dam, bringing the Poondi reservoir close to its full capacity.” For the safety of the dam and in line with guidelines, WRD decided to discharge the surplus water.
Upon on WRD’s recommendation, the Tiruvallur district administration has issued alerts to residents in villages along the Kosasthalaiyar basin, including Nambakkam, Krishnapuram, Atrambakkam, Othappai, Neiveli, Eraiyur, Beemanthoppu, Korrakkamandalam and Somathevanpattu. People in low-lying areas have been advised to stay cautious.