Water flowing out of Chembarambakkam reservoir into a channel towards the rear of the water body had raised concerns of local residents. However, the Water Resources Department (WRD) clarified that the water from the lake, which is one of the major storage points for the city’s drinking needs, is being released for paddy cultivation in neighbouring areas.
Spread over 2,316 hectares, Chembarambakkam lake is the largest among the four water bodies used as a drinking water source for Chennai. It now has 1,547 million cubic feet of water against its capacity of 3,645 mcft.
Referring to his post on social media, K. Natarajan, a resident of Kundrathur, said, “I noticed that water is being let out of the reservoir through a small channel on the rear of portion of the lake towards Thirumudivakkam and Sirukulathur for the past 10 days. The department must ensure that there is water for drinking water needs in summer as well.”
However, residents of Chembarambakkam said it was normal for a small quantity of water to stagnate in the irrigation channel that covers areas including Keluthipettai near Kundrathur.
M. Elango, area committee member, Chembarambakkam, CPM, said residents in neighbouring areas use this water for washing. Paddy cultivation is still being done in Sirukulathur and surrounding localities using this water.
“Instead of water being let out regularly and leading to misuse, the Department must regulate water discharge for cultivation and save even small quantities of water from being wasted,” he said.
An official of the WRD said the water discharge was regulated, and was being released for irrigation of 400 acres of land in Sirukulathur and Pazhanthandalam. “As residents still have irrigation rights, about 60 mcft of water is discharged for paddy cultivation in January and March,” he said.
