The Hindu 15.11.2010
Drinking water position may become tight in summer
Poor monsoon has belied hopes of water level rising in Siruvani Dam.
COIMBATORE: After the South West Monsoon failed to fill up Siruvani Dam, the major source of drinking water for the city and suburbs look set to be failed by the North East Monsoon also.
Water supply officials say the water level has to rise by another 14 ft to touch the full reservoir level of about 50 ft. When water should be overflowing from the dam at this point of time because of normal monsoon, water managers are compelled to foresee a tight situation in terms of drinking water supply in the summer of 2011. The reason is that water managers do not sound confident that the dam can fill up this year.
While the sources say that heavy rain over the next 10 days can fill the dam, there is still a tinge of scepticism that this may happen. That leaves the local bodies and the water board with austerity measures as the only option to ensure the dam did not dry up in summer when the Assembly elections may be held.
The rainfall in the catchment over the last 10 days has been poor, with the maximum being 40 mm on November 10. The water level in the dam has been 35 ft to 36 ft over these days. An official points out that a rise by even one foot is significant because of the huge dam spread area. But, the position right now is not encouraging.
If there is no marked rise in the water level from now, it will call for planning of phased reduction in the supply quantity from February or even earlier if bare minimum supply has to be sustained through the summer.
The water board also pins hopes on the Coimbatore Corporation's resolve to meet the March 31, 2011 deadline for the completion of the Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme. This is expected to ease the pressure on the Siruvani scheme.
