Notwithstanding the delay in the onset of the northeast monsoon, the reservoirs have recorded a substantial increase in storage. Yet, they still fall short compared storage achieved in the same period last year.

But no reason to worry, say Metro Water officials. “The water stored so far along with that to come this season is enough for the city’s water needs. If needed water from the Kandaleru reservoir can be brought here by extending the arrangement with the Andhra Pradesh government. And the Veeranam lake is already brimming this season,” said PWD official.

While the monsoon was more prompt last year, the soil’s moisture levels have been very good this year, letting all the rainwater to drain straight into the reservoirs. “Typically, the first lot of monsoon rains is used by the soil in catchment areas to rejuvenate itself and only the next lap of rains drain into the reservoirs. But this year, as the soil was moist, initial rains immediately raised up water levels in the reservoirs,” said the Metro Water official. Catchment areas of Chembarambakkam reservoir have seen highest rainfall, with storage almost tripling.

“According to an estimate, there are around 50 qualified town planners of the 500 required in Tamil Nadu,” former State joint director of Town and Country Planning (TCPD) N Manimurukan said.

Secretary of Tamil Nadu chapter of the Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI) S Balasubramanium concurred. “About 90 per cent of TCPD officials are not sufficiently qualified and there has been no direct recruitment of qualified town planners for the last 38 years,” he said. The trend was broken this year after Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission directly recruited three qualified town planners.

Manimurukan and Balasubramanium spoke to Express on the sidelines of a seminar to mark the World Town Planning Day on Tuesday.

“From 1970, there had been no direct recruitment of town planners due to service rules. The town planners appoi­nted in 60s and 70s had retired one by one,” Balasubramanium said.

“Even now there are two vaca­ncies of chief planners in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and the posts are yet to be filled due to service rule problems. As per the approved service rule, there is only provision up to senior planner level,” said former ITPI regional chapter secretary R Shivakumar.

“Even the quotas for the SCs and the STs in the department have not been filled,” Balasubramanium said.

“TN lacks well planned cities because even the layout is prepa­red by town planners who hold a diploma either in ITI or in civil engineer­ing. Ironically, qualified town planners don’t have licences to prepare the plans,” he lamented.

Manimurukan said: “Qualified town planners who graduated from the School of Architecture and Planning under Anna University were either privately employed by the Public Works Department or Highways Department as engineers.”

“In 2002, there were only five qualified town planners; in 2003, four; and in 2004, two. From 2005 to 2008, there was only one qualified planner. There was no qualified planner for more than one year till direct recruitment of three planners by TNPSC in August 2009,” he added.