Relief is in sight for Chennai as water from the Krishna River, released from Andhra Pradesh’s Kandaleru Reservoir, has started flowing into Tamil Nadu through the Telugu Ganga canal system. This influx is enhancing the water supply to Chennai’s drinking water reservoirs during the ongoing summer season. The water is currently entering the Poondi Reservoir at a rate of 75 cubic feet per second, showing a gradual increase from the initial 50 cusecs recorded earlier.
The water journeyed into Tamil Nadu through the Zero Point at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district before reaching Poondi, one of the key reservoirs catering to Chennai’s water needs. This inflow is crucial as the city’s reservoirs collectively hold 7.154 thousand million cubic feet of water, which is around 54.11% of their total storage capacity. Responding to Tamil Nadu’s request for additional water supply during the summer, Andhra Pradesh released about 1,900 cusecs of water from the Kandaleru Reservoir into the Telugu Ganga canal network.
The delay in water arrival was attributed to poor maintenance and silt accumulation in parts of the Telugu Ganga canal. Seepage losses and absorption along the canal route also contributed to reducing the flow velocity towards Tamil Nadu. Under the Telugu Ganga Project agreement, Andhra Pradesh annually provides Krishna River water to Tamil Nadu to support Chennai’s drinking water requirements. Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 12 TMC ft of water each year as per the pact, with eight TMC ft allocated from July to October and four TMC ft from January to April.
Officials are optimistic that the ongoing water inflow will bolster water storage levels in Chennai’s reservoirs, ensuring added security for the city’s drinking water supply in the upcoming months.
