The Times of India 01.02.2010
Water managers at ease as T-strife ebbs
CHENNAI: The levels of the four reservoirs supplying water to Chennai city have risen and fallen with the intensity of the agitation for a separate state of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh. At the peak of the movement, Krishna water to Chennai was stopped and the storage levels fell.
Now, with the situation in the neighbouring state appearing to have become less volatile, the supply has resumed and water managers are happy. At 6 pm on Saturday, nearly 400 cusecs of Krishna water were released into the canal from the Kandaleru reservoir.
Earlier, the officials of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) or Metrowater had promised a water scarcity-free summer but the stopping of Krishna water had left them worried.
As on Friday, the combined water levels in the four reservoirs was 6,866 million cubic feet (mcft). In Poondi, the level was 1,572 mcft against a capacity of 3,231 mcft. In Chembarambakkam it was 2289 mcft against the capacity of 3645 mcft. In Red Hills, the level was 2,318 mcft against the capacity of 3,300 mcft and in Cholavaram it was 687 mcft against the capacity of 881 mcft.
In December 2009, the combined level in the four reservoirs was 7,545 mcft; in November that year, it was 6,040 mcft.
“In November, there were rains and the Krishna water supply also continued. On December 12, Krishna water was stopped because of the Telangana agitation and there haven’t been sufficient rains since. Hence the levels have gone down,” said a senior CMWSSB official.
The official said the situation was bound to improve as the Andhra Pradesh government had resumed the supply of Krishna water from Saturday. “The water is expected to reach ‘zero’ point on Monday. We are expecting to get 400 cusecs, but we will know the exact quantity once the water reaches the point,” he added.
He said the water would be supplied till April. “The supply from Krishna began in September 2008 and lasted till April 1, 2009. Then after a brief period, it resumed on September 18 and continued till December 12. We got around 4,000 mcft during this period,” said the official.
