Kumari Palany & Co

Chennai Assured of Drinking Water Supply Despite Drought Concerns!

Posted on: 28/Apr/2024 11:04:17 AM

Chennai city is assured of uninterrupted drinking water supply until September, confirmed officials from the Chennai Drinking Water Board.

Despite the usual rains brought on by the March-April heatwave in Tamil Nadu, this year has seen a significant shortfall. The average rainfall from March 1 to April 27 is typically 54 mm, but this year it`s only been 9.4 mm-a staggering 83% less. Sixteen districts, including Chennai, have not seen a single drop of rain during this period.

The rising temperatures, attributed to the prevailing El Nino in the Pacific Ocean, have hindered cloud formation, further reducing the likelihood of rainfall.

With the depleting water levels in the lakes that supply Chennai`s drinking water, concerns have arisen. Currently, Poondi Lake holds 6,855 million cubic feet, Cholavaram Lake 1,020 million cubic feet, Puzhal Lake 2,930 million cubic feet, Kannan Fort-Thervai Kandigai 386 million cubic feet, and Chembarambakkam Lake 2,389 million cubic feet. However, Veeranam Lake has dried up.

Compared to last year`s total of 8,263 million cubic feet on April 27, this year`s reserves fall short by 1,408 million cubic feet. Despite this, officials reassure the public that there will be no shortage of drinking water this summer. With current water availability, supplemented by the daily supply of 210 million liters of desalinated water from Meenjur and Nemmeli, and an additional 150 mg daily from the newly implemented seawater conversion plant in Nemmeli, Chennai`s water needs are adequately met.