Chennai: As water from the Veeranam lake has reached the city, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) reduced pumping water on Sunday from the Chembarambakkam lake, the main water source for city residents. Officials said they have cut 80 MLD water intake from the city lake to save water, which will be used, when required.
According to officials, water from Veeranam lake was released to Chennai on Saturday, following heavy rainfall in Karnataka and catchment areas, which paved the way for the filling up of Veeranam lake.
Going by the current scenario, Chennai’s four lakes - Chembarambakkam, Poondi, Cholavaram and Red Hills - have total storage of 1,450 million cubic feet of water, which will hardly meet one month’s need of supplying drinking water.
“At present, we are drawing 200 MLD of water from two desalination plants located in Nemmeli and Minjur desalination plants. Further, we have stopped tapping water from agricultural renting borewells, stone quarries and other sources,” said a senior engineer, CMWSSB, seeking anonymity.
Since water is being drawn from Veeranam lake, they can easily tackle water crisis till onset of north-east monsoon, the official maintained. “We have been receiving 180 MLD of water from Veeranam lake since August 11 and we will tap water for some more months. Further, the water level and continuous inflow to Stanley reservoir in Mettur has been a shot in the arm and there is no place for drinking water scarcity this year in the city,” said an official.
Meanwhile, water management experts commented that the CMWSSB should have been left looking for help from the sky for water, if there was no supply from Veeranam lake this year.
“The fact remains that even though there is no acute drinking water scarcity in the city at present, the officials should have explored at other possibilities to draw water, if water from Veeranam lake did not come in handy,” said a former special chief engineer, PWD.
