Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has ordered the release of 180 million litres of water per day from the Veeranam Lake to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai city.
The release of water has been made possible by the release of water from the Mettur Dam and the recent onset of the Northeast monsoon in many parts of the State, Jayalalithaa said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I had ordered the release of water from the Mettur Dam from September 17 for the agricultural needs of the Cauvery Delta region. At this juncture, thanks to the release of water from Mettur as well as the rains across the State from the Northeast monsoon, the water level at the Veeranam Lake now stands at 45.8 feet,” said Jayalalithaa. “I am glad to be able to say that I have ordered the release of 180 million litres of water per day for the drinking water needs of Chennai from the Veeranam Lake,” she added.
Jayalalithaa also noted that the release of water from the Mettur Dam, apart from meeting the water requirements of agriculture in the Cauvery Delta region, also provided for drinking water in Chennai. This, she recalled, had been made possible by the Veeranam Project, which her government had put in place in 2004.