Water supply to some parts of south Chennai was hit for the second day on Wednesday.
Though one of the shutters in the intake tower of Chembarambakkam reservoir, which caters to the city’s demand for water, was repaired, supply is yet to be restored in some areas, including Adyar and Velachery.
Residents of some areas in Adyar and Besant Nagar said that the supply had reduced since New Year’s Day. Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said that one of the seven inlets, which are fixed at various levels to draw water according to the water level in the reservoir, collapsed on Monday. The inlet, which is eight feet long and six feet wide, was essential to allow drawal of water for supply.
Chennai Metrowater usually draws around 290 million litres a day (mld) to treat and supply nearly 260 mld to the supply network. On Wednesday, Metrowater was able to draw only 25 cubic feet per second — which translates to around 60 mld — to supply several localities in Chennai.
Officials of WRD said that the Chembarambakkam reservoir now has 1,241 million cubic feet of water (mcft) against its capacity of 3,645 mcft. The water level now stands at 74.7 feet against the full-capacity level of 85.40 feet.
The collapse of the inlet created a flutter as a prolonged repair process would mean a disruption in water supply to many areas of south and central Chennai. The supply to parts of central and south Chennai was hit on New Year’s Day as drawal of water could not be carried out. Officials of WRD said that the Metrowater, which has a 530-mld water treatment plant near the reservoir, resumed drawal on Wednesday as the problem was rectified by a team of WRD officials.
Sources in the Metrowater said that normalcy had been restored since Wednesday. The water supply to the affected zones has been stepped up. Around 180 mld of water from Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district was used to offset the supply from Chembarambakkam reservoir.
Residents said that the government departments must ensure maintenance of the infrastructure to prevent such incidents, and launch work to repair the shutters of the reservoir.
