CHENNAI: With Chennai’s reservoirs brimming and the receipt of over four TMCFT (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh, there is water for Chennai for at least a year, said the Public Works Department (PWD).
On Tuesday, with rains lashing for at least a month now, five of the city’s reservoirs together had a water storage of 9.6 TMCFT. At a supply rate of one TMCFT a month, the city’s water will last for at least 10 months, said PWD officials.
Notably, the combined water level of these reservoirs at the same time last year was only 5.1 TMCFT. The Kandaleru reservoir in Nellore of Andhra Pradesh, which augments drinking water supply to Chennai, attained a record storage of 52.94 TMCFT for the first time (in April 2020) since the launch of the Telugu Ganga canal system in 1996. That’s why Chennai received its full quota from the neighbouring State.
As pipelines have been laid in most of the added areas, the Chennai Metro Water and the PWD are planning to increase water supply to the city. While about 939 MLD of water is being supplied to the city daily for domestic use, the requirement stands at 1200 MLD.
Similarly, officials of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage board (TWAD) said there would not be drinking water crisis for the 19 lakh people living both inside the Coimbatore city limits and wayside village habitation till May next year as the water level in Siruvani dam is 43.90 feet against total 49.5.
Likewise, water level at Pillur reached 91 feet as against the total 100. It is a major drinking water source for both Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. PWD officials told TNIE due to continuous rain in the delta region, from October first week, water discharged from the dam for delta irrigation reduced. Due to this, water level started to increase in Mettur dam. The inflow also is at a good level due to rain in catchments.
As the northwest monsoon is also starting, the water required for delta irrigation will reduce. However, the bountiful rains now also increase the possibility of water going waste as most of the reservoirs are full. PWD officials said they were taking measures to divert the water into other lakes, so more water can be accommodated in the reservoirs.