With the steady inflow of Krishna water continuing for the past couple of weeks, Chennai Metrowater expects to sustain the present supply to the city for at least a few months.
According to sources in Metrowater, the Poondi reservoir, which is the major storage point of Krishna water, has received nearly 600 million cubic feet since mid-January from Andhra Pradesh.
This volume, which is equal to 17,000 million litres, has helped maintain the total storage level of the city reservoirs at 1,531 mcft for several days now.
However, of the total volume released from the Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh, only about 30-40% was being realised at the State’s entry point at the Kandaleru-Poondi canal as water was being drawn for drinking water and irrigation needs en route, sources said. On Thursday, the entry point of Kandaleru Poondi reservoir received about 370 cusecs (cubic feet per second).
Sources in the Water Resources Department said the Poondi reservoir had totally received 1,500 mcft since the release of water from October last year.
There have, however, been fluctuations in the flow.
The Andhra Pradesh government had earlier provided an assurance that the city would be provided with 2,000 mcft.
The water agency has put the option of supply on alternate days on hold for sometime and sustain the daily water supply at the present rate of 550 million litres a day (mld). It has scaled up drawal from 160 agricultural wells in Tiruvallur district.
“We are now drawing about 90 mld of groundwater and the volume may go up to 100 mld in a few days,” said an official.
Besides looking out for additional sources on the city’s fringes, Metrowater is making arrangements to install more pumpsets in the Paravanar river basin, Cuddalore district.
Local sources
Meanwhile, residents and water experts suggested that street supply and domestic consumers be given priority in tanker supply and the number of tanker loads to commercial establishments be reduced, particularly during summer.
Water from local sources in Retteri, Korattur, Porur and Ambattur should be used, they said.
