Chennai staring at water crisis

Chennai:

Rains have failed Chennai again this year as the city may face a water
crisis due to dwindling water levels in the reservoir.



Water managers are pinning their hopes on rains which is expected this
month as the reservoirs are drying up. “We are expecting rains in the
month of july and August so that we can continue supplying water to
the city,” said a Metro water source.



Interestingly, this is the third consecutive year that the rains have
failed Chennai. “Usually, we tend to get good rains in the month of
June. But this year, it has been minimal,” said the source.



Currently, the city has 1.18 TMC feet of water in Poondi, Red Hills
and Chembarambakkam reservoirs. Last year, during the same period the
city had 2.41TMC feet of water.



As there is uneven rise in the temperature, worries are also mounting
as to how long the ground water could last. “If it doesn’t rain then
the city could face a crisis,” said a Metro Water source.



Surprisingly, Chennai Metro water has already put in its contingency
plan to action. “We are already providing 100 MLD of water through
agriculture wells. Besides, we are also filling up 6,000 High Density
Poly Ethylene (HDPE) tanks,” said a Metro water official.



“We are also trying to put in place another 2,000 more HDPE tanks,” he said.



Interestingly, Chennai Metro Water has also increased it supply of
water through its water tanks. “Normally we supply water through 3,700
water tankers on every nook and corner of the city. Now we have
increased the fleet to 4,500 water tankers a day,” said the official.



Currently, the city’s drinking water needs are being met through
desalination plants, Veeranam as well as ground water. However, these
are limited resources as Chennai Metro Water is looking to skies to
open up so that the city can be ensured a constant water supply.