Chennai: Reservoir levels lowest in 13 years

Chennai: Combined storage of water in the four reservoirs in Chennai has touched an all-time low in 13 years, indicating severe water crisis in the city.

One of the major reservoirs that quench the thirst of Central Chennai, Red Hills lake has gone completely dry, with zero mcft storage on Monday. The storage level, which was noted at 21mcft, even on the first of July, has not managed to sustain despite the occasional showers welcoming the city this month.

A similar scenario of a parched Red Hills lake (with zero mcft storage) was witnessed only in 2004 mid-August, which continued till October of the same year, the statistics from the Chennai metro water department stated. Water from Red Hills lake is supplied to Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Kolathur and Anna Nagar.

Admitting the crisis, a senior official from metro water said, “We were drawing around 40 mld from Red Hills lake till last month. Now, we could draw only 15 mld, as the storage went zero on Monday. However, we will increase the water supply from Veeranam and agricultural wells from Tiruvallur district, so as to escape the crisis.”

It is unusual for the Red Hills Lake, with the 3,300 mcft capacity to go dry. Unlike Cholavaram  lake, which remains dry with zero mcft since April this year, Red Hills managed a good capacity even till last month, the statistics suggests.
“The situation in 2004 and now can be attributed to the historical monsoon failures in the previous years,” weather blogger, Pradeep John said.
How did the recent sho-wers fail to make a change in the water capacity?

Explaining the phenomenon, John said southwest monsoon rains do not generate major inflow in Chennai lakes, as they are mostly intermittent.
“In the past, the major increase in the inflow was witnessed when Krishna water reaches the Poondi and Red hills lakes,” he said.

Another summer saviour for the city is cyclonic rainfall in the month of May, which helps in substantial increase in water levels.  “The 2016 Roanu cyclone increased water levels that helped meet the city’s quench for two weeks. It was same with the 1990 and 1995 May cyclones.”