: After nearly 16 months, Chennai will soon receive Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh, just in time to save the city from a looming drinking water crisis.
Water from the Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh was released into the Kandaleru Poondi (KP) canal on Monday evening after sustained efforts of the Tamil Nadu government that sought water to augment Chennai’s water supply. Chennai had been receiving Krishna water till May 2015.
Following the recent directive of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, about 200 cubic feet per second of water is being discharged into the 152-km-long KP canal, which carries water from the Kandaleru reservoir to the inter-State limit in Uthukottai, Tiruvallur district.
Confirming the water discharge into KP canal, sources in the Water Resources Department (WRD) said the water was expected to reach the zero point at Uthukottai by October 14 or October 15. Normally, it takes two or three days for the water to reach the zero point.
But, the canal bed is dry and the water may take longer to reach the State limit.
“It has covered about 50 km so far. The volume of water being discharged will be stepped up gradually. The reservoirs upstream in Andhra Pradesh in Kandaleru and Somasila have sufficient storage to supply the city,” a source said.
Water is expected to reach the zero point at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district by October 14 or 15
