Rains help increase water storage levels in reservoirs above the level recorded last year

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The rains have brought some cheer to water managers and the trend of depletion of water has been reversed with inflow of additional water due to the rains during last few days.

Metro Water officials have maintained that the inflow of water to the reservoirs due to rains is still meagre and are pinning their hope on more rains.

Interestingly, the level of water in the reservoir is more than the level recorded last year. Last year the total water level in Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam was 2.955 tmc feet. However, now the storage level is above 3 tmc feet. And if one goes by the quantity of water present in Veeranam, water managers feel the city currently has somewhere around 3.9 to 4tmc feet of water.

A senior metro water official said that this has been possible since Metro Water has started implementing the contingency plan to ensure Chennai’s thirst is quenched during the summer.

Metro Water has ramped up the supply from the two desalination plants in Nemelli and Minjur besides added additional tanker fleet to supply water. Interestingly, Nemelli was shut down for maintenance last month.

A metro water official said that the city would be able to maintain a steady supply of waterduring the summer following the two crucial meetings the Chief Minister had with officials. Interestingly, after the meeting the contingency plans have been implemented.

As per the contingency plans, Metro Water has already made plans to have additional 80 MLD of ground water.

Even the tanker fleets have been increased now. “Earlier we used to supply water in 2,400 to 2,500 tankers. Now we have 3,800 to 3,900 tankers which is supply water to the city,” ametro water source said.

Metro Water has also heaved a sigh of relief with the availability of Krishna water.  This has bought in a much needed relief to Poondi reservoir. “We are getting it at the right time especially when there is maximum vapourisation from the reservoirs,” sources in the Chennai Metro Water said.

Metro Water contingency plan focuses more on to tap the ground water resources by drilling additional borewells and hiring of more agricultural wells