CHENNAI: After being reduced to mere dust bowls by consecutive monsoon failures and a harsh summer, the four reservoirs that supply drinking water to Chennai received 25 million cubic feet (mcft) in the last two days, thanks to heavy rain in the catchment areas.
It was just a ray of hope that the city needed during this summer, as Chennai Metrowater had cut down supply and implemented contingency measures by tapping every available ground and surface water source, including unused mines and lakes.
In the last 24-hour period, the biggest beneficiary was the largest of the reservoirs, Chembarambakkam lake, which recorded an inflow of 253 cubic feet per second (cusecs), while the second biggest, Red Hills, received 56 cusecs, a Metrowater spokesperson told Express.
A couple of days ago, the total available water in the four reservoirs was only 79 mcft; on Wednesday, it increased to 103 mcft, the spokesperson said.
However, this could well turn out to be a mirage, warned experts, who noted that the ground was extremely dry. “These rains in itself are not that significant as most of the water that is there now will percolate. It could be of some significance if it rains for some more days,” Water Resources Department sources said.
Chennai is currently getting 200 million litres a day (MLD) from desalination plants, 120 MLD from agriculture wells, 80 MLD from the mines in Neyveli and 30 MLD of potable water from 22 stone quarries in Sikkarayapuram in the neighbourhood.
To meet the demand, water managers have also started tapping an additional four MLD from Porur lake after the drinking water supply scheme was inaugurated by Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister S P Velumani on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department is awaiting an order from the government to desilt all the four reservoirs so that it can take in an additional 500 million cubic feet of water. “We had submitted a proposal and are awaiting orders,” said the official.