Chennai water reservoirs get 3 month inflows but crisis is not over

Chennai: The heavy rains that battered Chennai and suburbs have provided three months water supply, helping the State-run Metro Water Board tide over an immediate water crisis. However, Metro Water department is still a worried lot as the combined storage of Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam is at 2,269 mcft as against the full capacity of 11,057 mcft, about 20 per cent.

The North East monsoon is the main source for Chennai’s water supply, and the city reservoirs require at least two more spells of heavy rains to have enough water to last till next year’s North East monsoon in October-November 2016. The South-West monsoon in July-August does provide some rains but generally it is not heavy.

The level in Poondi reservoir as on November 12 was 536 mcft as agains the full tank level of 3,231 mcft.  In Cholavaram, the level was 196 mcft against 881 mcft. Red Hills too showed a dismal picture with 533 mcft storage against the full level of 3,300 mcft. The storage level in Chembarambakkam was slightly better with 1004 mcft against the full level of 3,645 mcft.

The position may improve slightly with more inflows expected in the next two days. Besides, weathermen have also predicted a fresh spell of rains in the next 48 hours.