Chennai Waits With Bated Breath For Northeast Monsoon As Andhra Officials Cut Krishna Water Supply

With Andhra Pradesh (AP) irrigation officials pulling the plug on the Krishna water supply to Poondi reservoir from the Kandaleru dam on Sunday (28 October), Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) officials are now in distress, as reported by Deccan Chronicle.

Reports say that Andhra Pradesh released Krishna water last month, with the Poondi reservoir so far having received 1.87 tmc of water from the Kandaleru reservoir. The once bone-dry Poondi reservoir has 805 mcft of water.

“Going by the current scenario, the water storage at four lakes including Poondi and Chembarambakkam lakes stood at 1,798 million cubic feet (mcft) against a total capacity of 11,257 mcft. The Chennai city would have plunged into a water crisis, had Krishna water not been released,” said a PWD official on condition of anonymity, saying that AP officials assured of releasing water once the dam fills again.

Meanwhile, the water officials in Chennai are awaiting anxiously the coming of the still elusive Northeast monsoon.

With meteorological department unable to forecast properly, the CMWSSB is currently only drawing surface water for the drinking water supply. The officials, however, are hopeful of heavy rainfall due to the oncoming northeast monsoon.