COIMBATORE : The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) will be able to manage the water shortage to an extent in the upcoming days as the Pillur Dam will be receiving water from the Kunda Dam in Nilgiris based on the request put forth by the civic body and district administration officials.
Coimbatore has been facing severe water crisis over the past few weeks, as both the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons failed by not brining adequate rainfall to water catchment areas of the reservoirs that supply water to Coimbatore. Hence, the water level in both Siruvani and Pillur Dams started deteriorating as soon as the scorching summer began. As the water levels in both the dams started declining, the water supply frequency increased in the city. People who were receiving water once a week, started receiving it once in 10 days. And those who received water once in 10 days, received water only once in 15 days.
As the issue prolonged, people hit the streets demanding regular water supply. In view of this, the commissionerate of municipal administration director Sivarasu, CCMC commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran along with TWAD board and other officials inspected the Pillur and Kunda Dam in Nilgiris on March 23.
Sources said the officials requested Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) officials to release reserve water which they had stored in the hydropower plant near the Kunda Dam to Pillur to cater to the needs of Coimbatore. However, the electricity board officials were hesitant as it may affect their power generation. Later, the officials in Nilgiris rejected the CCMC and district administration’s request for water release as it required high-level approval.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, “After talks between Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS), electricity, and the Tamil Nadu Government Chief Secretary, the water from Kunda Hydropower plant has been released to the Pillur Dam. Around 20 mcft of water was released from the hydropower station to Pillur on a daily basis. It reached the Pillur Dam few days ago and with this the water shortage issues will be addressed.”
At present the Kunda Hydropower plant has a reserve storage capacity of around 350 Mcft of water. Currently, about 17.5 mcft of water is released from Kunda to Pillur Dam everyday.
At present, the water level in Pillur Dam stands at 62.75 ft against its full storage capacity of 100 ft. Around 90 MLD of water is being supplied under the Pillur Scheme 1 & 2 projects and around 50 MLD of water is being supplied under Pillur Scheme 3.