Chennai continues to be thirsty -Governance Now

Chennai continues to be thirsty

The four reservoirs that supply drinking water to Chennai have low water level

Shivani Chaturvedi | November 8, 2017 | Chennai

#reservoirs #water supply #Chennai #rains

File Photo:: Cholavaram reservoir. (Photo courtesy: Chennai metropolitan water supply and sewerage board)

A thirsty Chennai hopes for rains to get some respite. Though there was a downpour for more than a week, the four reservoirs that supply drinking water to Chennai have low level of water.

Total reservoir capacity is 11,567 million cubic feet (mcft) and only 3483 mcft has reached the reservoirs. The combined level of water in the four reservoirs is only 3.5 percent of the total capacity.

According to data provided by Chennai metropolitan water supply and sewerage board, on November 7 Poondi reservoir had 656 mcft, Cholavaram 464 mcft, Red Hills 1152 mcft and Chembarambakkam 1211 mcft.

The demand for water in the city is about 1,100 million litres per day (mld). At the best of times, Chennai water authorities manage to supply 830 mld. Till last month with all the four reservoirs running dry, Chennai metro water authorities were able to supply only 470 mld. At least presently the authorities have slowly increased the daily supply to 600 mld.

The present water storage in the four reservoirs can meet demand for another six months only, says an official from Chennai metropolitan water supply and sewerage board. There is inadequate rainfall in the catchment areas of the reservoirs. In the days to come if it rains well and the situation improves, inflow of water will also improve.

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