The Water Resources Department is holding talks with its counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, seeking release of Krishna water for the spell beginning this month. However, the department is yet to receive any assurance from the neighbouring State on water discharge from the Kandaleru reservoir.
Chennai received 8.05 tmcft of the Krishna water since September-end last year. This is one of the highest quantities of water received since the commissioning of the Krishna Water Supply Project in 1996. Water flow at the State’s entry point at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district stopped after June 24.
With the water release due for the next spell between July and October, the WRD recently wrote to the Andhra Pradesh authorities. The Kandaleru reservoir has about 20 tmcft. “But we are yet to receive any response on the date of water release from A.P. We are in touch with the officials to provide water to Chennai,” said a senior WRD official.
The neighbouring State may decide on the water release based on its irrigation needs and the southwest monsoon.
As of now, Chennai’s reservoirs have a combined storage of 4.95 tmcft, which is sufficient for drinking water supply till the year-end.
As the Kandaleru-Poondi canal bed does not have any flow, the department has initiated maintenance work on the 25 km stretch between Uthukottai and Poondi reservoir, the official added.
