With inflows of Krishna water assured till February-end, Metrowater plans to supply water equally across the city. At present, Chennai is being provided 650 million litres on alternate days or once in three days in some areas.
Though there is sufficient storage in the reservoirs to last till the next southwest monsoon, Metrowater officials noted that they were in no hurry to step up water supply. “We want to optimise the use of available resources to provide equitable water supply to even tail-end areas. A study has been launched to find out means to increase water pressure and ensure supply to all households,” said an official.
With areas such as Avadi, Pammal and Anakaputhur to be brought into the ambit of Metrowater supply, the water agency is preparing a mix of different water sources and distribution patterns to sustain drinking water supply to both core and added areas. “There is a need for a rational plan to distribute the available resources for a longer period,” the official said.
High volumes
Since last September, the city has so far received one of the highest volumes of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh since 2011. Poondi reservoir, which is the storage point for the inflows, has received 4,212 million cubic feet (mcft) of Krishna water. This is equivalent to five months’ supply to the city.
A senior WRD official said, “AP authorities have assured us water supply till February-end. But, we expect supply to continue till the end of April and help boost storage in city reservoirs.”
In 2011-12, Chennai received 8,198 mcft of Krishna water in two spells. Krishna water has helped to increase storage to about 50% of reservoirs’ capacity and resume drawal from the waterbodies, the official added.
Last November, Metrowater started the process of supplying piped water to about 3,000 streets. The number of lorry trips also came down to 4,000 trips daily, from a whopping 12,300 in November.
