‘No place to store water’: TN asks A.P. to suspend supply of Krishna water to Chennai from July 1

State has received a record 2.4 tmcft of water from A.P. since May 8

Though the water level at the Poondi reservoir is only one-third of its capacity, the Water Resources Department is not keen on increasing the storage as it has to complete pending work. | Photo Credit: K. PICHUMANI

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has written to the Andhra Pradesh government to suspend Krishna water supply from the Kandaleru reservoir from July 1 as two city reservoirs are filled up.

Officials said Chennai has received nearly 2.4 tmcft. of Krishna water released from Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh since May 8. This was one of the highest quantum to be realised within a short span of time.

On Monday, the entry point into Tamil Nadu on the Kandaleru-Poondi canal at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district, recorded 610 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of Krishna water.

However, the department has urged the Andhra Pradesh authorities to suspend Krishna water release temporarily as the State did not have facility to store any more water with reservoirs in Chembarambakkam and Red Hills getting filled up.

Though the reservoir at Poondi has only 1.3 tmcft of water, which is nearly one-third of its capacity, the department is not keen on stepping up its storage.

The shutter gates of Chembarambakkam reservoir were opened last week to release water as a precautionary measure when the city received heavy rains. The department let out a small quantum of water on Monday.

The recently-built Thervoykandigai-Kannankottai reservoir is full. “We have asked the Andhra Pradesh authorities to resume water release from September for the next spell,” said an official.

Officials said work was on to reconstruct the sluice that releases water to the Institute of Hydraulics and Hydrology, Poondi. “We plan to replace the shutters of the reservoir. The storage in the water body will be increased once these works are finished,” said an official.

The combined storage in the five reservoirs, including Cholavaram, was 8.3 tmcft, which is 71% of their capacity as on Monday. This could sustain water supply to Chennai for eight to nine months, the officials added.