Following recent monsoon showers in the district, the Coimbatore City Muncipal Corporation (CCMC) has intensified monitoring of the eight smart city tanks, which are now at full capacity.
The tanks—Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Kumaraswamy, Selvampathi, Selvachintamani, Periyakulam, Valankulam, and Singanallur—currently hold their total capacity of 260 million cubic feet of water. “Given the possibility of more rain in Coimbatore, we have set up a 24/7 monitoring system in which officials will regularly check the tank levels,” said Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran.
The task has been handed over to sectoral officers who monitor the tanks at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
No imminent fear of flooding
Although the tanks are full, the Corporation has said that flooding is unlikely. All sluice gates at the outlet and inlet channels of each tank and stormwater drains connecting one tank to another have been repaired and desilted in anticipation of the monsoon.
“If a tank is close to breaching, water is released into the next lake, and the process continues until the water reaches Singanallur Tank and drains into Noyyal River,” a Smart City official said. Before the South-West monsoon, the civic body conducted test runs to identify blockages in channels between tanks.
Tanks prone to flooding
In December 2023, water from the Krishnampathi Tank flooded the Shah Fulchand Virchand Government Higher Secondary School in Seeranaickenpalayam. This year the Corporation does not expect it to recur.
“Krishnampathi is the first to receive water from the Marudhamalai Hills, which results in high force and volume. Additionally, the school’s compound wall had collapsed, allowing water to flow in. The wall has been repaired, and the drains leading to the next tank have been desilted,” said a CCMC engineering official.
