Chennai: As the Regional Meteorological Department is clueless about the onset of the northeast monsoon, it has left the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) high and dry and the board is now looking up at the sky.
Sources said the storage capacity in four lakes is 1,397 million cubic feet (mcft) against total capacity of 11,257 mcft. As far as inflow to these lakes is concerned, only Poondi reservoir is receiving 582 cusecs of water, that too Krishna water from Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, officials from CMWSSB, who were earlier happy with the RMC’s announcement about early onset of monsoon, have begun waiting with bated breath. “It is a fact that we thought the monsoon would bring copious rainfall, but it unfortunately eluded even after prediction. However, we do not lose hopes of receiving rainfall from northeast monsoon,”said an official of CMWSSB, preferring anonymity.
“As of now, we are not looking for other water resources and existing water level is enough to meet the drinking water need in the city,”the official said, exuding hope that there would be good rainfall in the next few days in and around city.
RMC weathermen said the cyclone Luban over West-central Arabian sea had made landfall. “Since cyclone ‘Titli’ already made landfall in Oman coast, there is a chance for a changing weather pattern. There might be a chance next week of the northeast monsoon setting in,”said a weather expert.
When asked about the possible day of monsoon onset, the weatherman replied, “We cannot predict now and we are closely monitoring the system, after which an update will be given.”
Even as some interior districts witnessed rainfall in the state, Chennai continued to record high temperature on Sunday. “Nungambakkam and Airport observatories recorded 34.1 and 34.7 degree Celsius respectively,”RMC website said.
