Chennai rains: Kanchi, Tiruvallur lakes reach full capacity

Chennai: As many as 35 lakes in Kancheepuram and 60 small water bodies in Tiruvallur have brimmed due to the good rains. Bird watchers and water managers hope for a few more spells of rain as major water bodies in greater Chennai have less than 25 percent of water storage. Fresh rains on Wednesday in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts saw Poondi, Chembarambakkam, Cholavaram, Red Hills bringing more areas under sheets of water and the combined inflow of water into city reservoirs stood at 4,300 cusecs.

If the rains continue for three more days Chennai will generate 2 TMC water to meet two months of water supply, said a PWD official.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast for coastal Andhra and this is also good news for TN, as the neighbouring state is yet to release water from Kandaleru, the official said adding about 450 high power pumps were being used to suck out the storm water off the roads but the reservoirs and lakes need inflow and a few more spells of rains, the official added.

According to Tiruvallur collector E. Sundaravalli, more than 60 water bodies in Tiruvallur district have filled and the lakes are under constant vigil. Adequate sandbags have been stored to prevent a breach of lake bunds, she said.
“Besides greater Chennai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore have experienced good rains in the past one week and the bird sanctuaries in these areas are now live with migration setting in”, said K.V.R.K. Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust.

Bird watchers visiting Pulicat lake are also thrilled after sighting rare Eurasian Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwit, which are migratory birds that migrate over thousands of kilometres to south India and the water is now filling up at all sanctuaries making bird migration happening, he said.