Krishna water starts filling up Poondi reservoir

Chennai: Exactly when the city needed it, the Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh has started filling up Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur district. An average of 180 cubic feet per second (cusecs) has been released from the Kandaleru reservoir into the Krishna Canal since Saturday, delivering Krishna water to Poondi reservoir and boosting its storage, a senior water resources department (WRD) engineer said on Tuesday.

Poondi currently holds 1,165 million cubic feet (mcft), or 36% of its 3,231mcft capacity. WRD engineers said inflow will continue until the onset of the northeast monsoon.

Combined storage across six reservoirs that supply water to the Chennai city, including Veeranam in Cuddalore district, stands at about 7,075mcft (7 tmc), the engineer said, down from 8,355mcft on the corresponding day last year. Officials said the current reserves are projected to be sufficient to meet the city’s water needs for the next seven months.

Metrowater officials reported an operational improvement at Chembarambakkam reservoir after the commissioning of a second pumping line. The new line is drawing 450 million litres per day (MLD), and Metrowater said the additional pumping has improved distribution and reduced complaints of non-availability from residents at the tail end of the supply network.

Metrowater continues to maintain a daily supply of 1,250MLD to the city, up from 1,096MLD supplied at the same time last year, the agency said. Officials attributed the increase to stronger reservoir positions and the Krishna water inflow.

Reservoir-wise storage as of Tuesday stood at 89mcft of its 1,081mcft capacity in Cholavaram; 1,896mcft of 3,300mcft capacity in Red Hills, 341mcft of 500mcft in Kannankottai Thervoikandigai, 2,965mcft of 3,645mcft in Chembarambakkam, and 619mcft of 1,465mcft Veeranam tank.

Authorities said the city passed the recent summer without water scarcity. With current storage levels and anticipated seasonal rains, officials expressed confidence in managing the water supply through the coming year and avoiding shortages next summer as well.