Heavy spell ups Poondi storage and hope of supply to Chennai

According to PWD officials, the main metro water lakes like Chembarambakkam and Poondi reservoir are receiving good inflow that the total storage in these lakes, which stood at 200 million cubic feet two weeks ago, has now gone up to as much as 350 million cubic feet.

Palar Basin Circle (Chennai Region), Superintending Engineer, V Mani, said, “A worrisome situation prevailed since Poondi reservoir didn’t receive water for the past two months. Even the water supply from Kirshna river had stopped. Rains in the catchments areas for the past one week have turned out to be a saving grace with a rapid increase in the storage level from a mere 10 million cubic feet to 30 million cubic feet.”

Pointing out that the withdrawal of water from the Poondi reservoir is possible only if it has 16 million cubic feet of water, a metro board official said, “We will now pump water from Poondi reservoir to Red Hills lake from where the water will be drawn for treatment and supplied thereafter.” The official also expressed optimism that since the total storage in the lakes meant for city supply stood at 300 million cubic feet, they could easily tackle the water crisis for next one month at least.

With the North-East monsoon also fast approaching, the Board is pinning its hope for another bout of good rain, to replenish the lakes further. “The existing water supply from lakes, desalination plants and borewells is well enough to meet the need till North-East monsoon sets in,” the official noted.