Amid monsoon, water levels in reservoirs around Chennai over half capacity 

With Chennai city and outlying districts receiving regular rains in the recent weeks, water levels in reservoirs that cater to the city’s needs are on the rise. In what is a respite for people a drought-prone city, the combined storage of the reservoirs have surpassed the halfway mark.

As per data on the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board or Chennai Metro Water, the total storage of four reservoirs - Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills, Chambarambakkam is twice as much as the water that was available last year.

The four reservoirs have a combined storage of 6706 Million Cubic feet (Mcft) as on date, whereas they had 3148Mcft on the same day the previous year. Current storage of 6706Mcft is nearly 60% of the total capacity, which stands at 11257Mcft. 

Officials hold the opinion that the current water levels, which are likely to further increase quite well after the impending rains, will be sufficient for the city to tide over the summer of 2021.

In stark contrast, on November 16th 2018, the combined storage of all four reservoirs were 1641Mcft, hardly 10per cent of the total capacity. It was this sharp decline in water levels by November, poor planning and management and also a failed monsoon in 2018 that led to a severe drought in the summer of 2019. Hence, indicating how crucial an optimal water level in these reservoirs is for the city. 

It was the mismanagement of the water levels in one of these reservoirs,-Chembarambakkam amid heavy rains that led to large parts of Chennai city and its outskirts being flooded in December 2015.

The meteorological department has predicted heavy rain at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Cuddalore, Thoothukudi, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu.

This year, the North-East monsoon had set in around the last week of October and particularly 29th October saw parts of Chennai city being lashed by heavy rains, of 150-200mm intensity within a few hours.