Ditwah dissipates, WRD stops water release from Chembarambakkam lake

CHENNAI: As the impact of Cyclone Ditwah subsided in the city and heavy rainfall ceased, the water release from the Chembarambakkam Lake was completely stopped on Sunday evening.

The controlled release of water was initiated on Saturday at 8 pm as a precautionary measure. Authorities from the Water Resources Department had anticipated a significant increase in the lake's inflow due to the cyclone, which was forecast to bring intense rainfall. Consequently, water was being discharged at a rate of 3,000 cusecs.

Simultaneously, flood alerts were issued for residents in low-lying areas along the banks of the Adyar River and in several suburban regions of Chennai.

However, with the cyclone's intensity weakening considerably, the discharge was first scaled down to 2,250 cusecs at 6 am on Sunday. In a further decision, the outflow was significantly reduced to 500 cusecs starting from 8 am on Sunday. As of the latest reports, the water level in the Chembarambakkam Lake stands at 21.20 feet.