Chennai may be saved from a severe water crisis this year as water from Veeranam tank is set to augment drinking water supply by this weekend.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday ordered the release of 180 million litres per day (mld) of water from the tank in Cuddalore district on Saturday.
Veeranam tank is one of the vital sources to meet the city’s water requirements.
Located about 230 km away from Chennai, the tank falls in the tail end of the Cauvery river system. Whenever water from the Mettur dam, Salem district, is released, the tank receives water through the Vadavar channel from the Lower Anicut on Coleroon or Kollidam river, a distributary of Cauvery river.
The Chief Minister said in the press release that the tank’s level increased following water discharge from the Mettur dam for irrigation in the Cauvery delta.
The storage in the tank is rising steadily with inflow of 1,220 cubic feet per second (cusecs).
On Friday, it stood at 935.20 million cubic feet against its capacity of 1,465 mcft.
Sources in the Chennai Metrowater said water transmitted from Cuddalore district through a 220-km long pipeline would reach Porur by Sunday.
It would then be pumped into existing network. This water would be supplied mainly to residents of south and central parts of Chennai.
