Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Water Supply

Rain gauges to be installed in all municipal zones

Saturday, 18 July 2009 10:12 administrator
Print PDF

Times of India 18.07.2009

Rain gauges to be installed in all municipal zones

SURAT: With a view to facilitate decentralized monitoring of rain, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has installed rain gauges in all seven municipal zones in the city. These instruments, which provide an update on rainfall data every 15 minutes, have proved effective in planning the rescue and relief operations in the low-lying areas hit by the heavy rainfall.

Sources said SMC was the first in the state to install rain gauges in Katargam and Mora Bhagal areas some four years ago. After the success of the rain monitoring devices, the authorities decided to cover all the seven municipal zones with the rain monitoring system this year.

"This instrument has facilitated the SMC to gauge the amount of rain in each zones, thus, helping us to take the necessary steps to avoid the damage caused by heavy rainfall in certain areas," said G M Kothwala, chief fire officer (CFO).

According to Kothwala, Pandesara and Mughalsarai area received the maximum of eight and nine inches rainfall respectively on Thursday. However, the rescue teams were deployed in the low-lying Pandesara area to rescue the slum dwellers residing near the Bhedwad creek that was flowing below the danger level.

Rain gauges have been installed on the rooftops of ward offices at Kapodara, Morabhagal, Katargam, Pandesara, Dumbhal, Majura Gate and at SMC's headquarters in Mughalsarai. All the instruments are manual and that the data is updated at every 15 minutes by the trained staff.

Sources said that the Met department has also started taking information from the SMC about the rainfall in different parts of the city.
 

Telugu Ganga water to Chennai from Oct. 1

Saturday, 18 July 2009 06:43 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu 18.07.2009

Telugu Ganga water to Chennai from Oct. 1

Special Correspondent

The flow in the canal will be continued for 2 to 3 months

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to release water to Chennai from Telugu Ganga canal this time from October 1 to supplement the supplies being made to residents of that city from other sources such as Poondi reservoir.

Replenishments

The flow in the canal will be continued for 2 to 3 months, depending on the availability of water in Kandaleru reservoir in Nellore district which gets replenishments from Somasila and finally from Srisailam.

Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah signed the relevant file here on Friday. This is in spite of the continued protests by the Tamil Nadu government against Andhra Pradesh proposal to construct a mini project across the Palar river.

Also, the releases by Andhra Pradesh will be irrespective of any help from Karnataka and Maharashtra which have to supply 5 tmcft (thousand million cubic ft) each to Chennai through Telugu Ganga canal under an agreement signed for Chennai.

The agreement provided for an equal contribution (5 tmcft ) by Andhra Pradesh.

Adequate storage

At present, Kandaleru reservoir has an adequate storage of 23 tmcft against its full capacity of 68 tmcft.

The sill-level of the Telugu Ganga canal sluices at Kandaleru project is such that the project can make the supplies to Chennai even with 10 tmcft storage.

Distance

The Telugu Ganga canal originates from the backwaters of Srisailam reservoir and joins Kandaleru after travelling a distance of 255 km through three districts.

From Kandaleru, the Telugu Ganga canal again covers 153 km to join Poondi reservoir at Red Hills, the principal drinking water source of Chennai.

Last Updated on Saturday, 18 July 2009 06:51
 

Water once a day now, but only till rains oblige

Friday, 17 July 2009 11:01 administrator
Print PDF
The Times of India 17.07.2009
Water once a day now, but only till rains oblige
PUNE: The city seems set to get some respite from the water cut with the state irrigation department releasing water from the Khadakwasala dam on Thursday evening.

Though the present water cut has not been officially withdrawn, the water discharged from the dam into the Mutha right bank canal is currently being lifted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at its water treatment centres. This is in addition to the water being supplied to the PMC through the pipeline running between the Khadakwasala dam and the Parvati water works.

PMC water department head Pramod Nirbhavne said water was flowing in the canal at the rate of 1,000 cusecs. "We have, therefore, decided to provide water once a day," he added.

Nirbhavne, however, said that the alternate day water supply may be resorted to again if it doesn't rain much and if the water release through the canal is stopped by the irrigation department. "We will review the situation in a day or two to streamline the water supply," he added.

State water resources minister Ajit Pawar had on Thursday instructed the irrigation department not to release water from any dam which was less than 80 per cent full.

Avinash Surve, superintending engineer of the Pune irrigation division, told TOI that the irrigation department started releasing water from the Khadakwasala dam on Thursday evening since the dam's storage capacity had increased to 91 per cent. "We are releasing the water from the canal and not through the river," he said.

Asked why the irrigation department was not waiting for the dam to be filled to capacity, Surve explained that water had to be released as around 10 per cent of the dam's water storage capacity has to be kept reserved for "flood absorption".

Asked whether the irrigation department would continue to release water only through the canal, Surve said, "The canal can accommodate water release up to a rate of 1,150 cusecs. If it rains heavily in the catchment areas and the dam level goes up to 93 per cent, we will have to release water through the Mutha river."

Meanwhile, the rains in the catchment areas during the last couple of days have helped build up the collective storage in the four dams (Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar) to 7.55 TMC (27.44%) on Thursday.

This is close to the storage mark in these dams on the same day last year. The four dams had storage of 29.02% on July 16, 2008.
 
Last Updated on Friday, 17 July 2009 12:00
 
More Articles...


Page 401 of 414