For the second time in two years, Chennai Metrowater has turned to agricultural wells in Tiruvallur district to manage the growing water needs of the city.
As the Northeast monsoon failed to boost storage in the reservoirs, the water agency has been drawing water from about 300 agricultural wells hired in Tiruvallur district since a week now.
At present, about 50 million litres a day (mld) of groundwater is being sourced from the wells in places such as Magaral, Karanai, Pullarambakkam, R.R.Kandigai and Siruvanoor falling under the Tamaraipakkam and Poondi wellfields belt.
Metrowater had sourced water from agricultural wells for nearly seven months from May 2015. Water was purchased at the cost of ₹38 per hour from each well a year ago.
Officials noted that normally groundwater resource is kept in reserve to be used as a last resort during summer. This year, the drawal had to be advanced as the storage in the city reservoirs had plummeted to less than 15 per cent of the capacity.
According to Metrowater data, reservoirs, including Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district, contribute to nearly 65 per cent of the supply to Chennai. Water supply to the city was reduced to 550 mld from 830 mld to save resources recently. However, there are no plans to decrease piped water supply on alternate day basis as of now.
“We may draw up to 100 mld from agricultural wells. The volume may be reorganised depending on Krishna water received in the Poondi reservoir,” said an official.
Unlike earlier years, the water agency has put in place a pipeline network to collect water from the wellfields and transport it to the water treatment plant in Red Hills. Another 50 mld is also being sourced from borewells and mines in Neyveli.
Krishna water
The much-awaited Krishna water released from Andhra Pradesh reached the inter-State border on Thursday. But, the meagre flow has failed to be fulfil the expectation of the water managers to tide over water scarcity.
