Increased Water Discharge from Chembarambakkam Reservoir Due to Inflow Surge

The Water Resources Department (WRD) is set to significantly increase the discharge from the Chembarambakkam reservoir into the Adyar river as a precautionary measure. With catchment areas experiencing continuous rainfall, the reservoir’s inflow has risen, prompting the release of 1,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water at 9 a.m. The reservoir, currently receiving a steady inflow of 500 cusecs, is approaching its full level, reaching 22.35 feet against the capacity of 24 feet.

The storage stands at 3,210 million cubic feet, close to its capacity of 3,645 mcft. Recent light to moderate rains in the vicinity has contributed to runoff reaching the lake, prompting the WRD to incrementally increase the discharge. The move follows a precautionary release of 25 cusecs last month. The Kancheepuram district administration has urged residents in low-lying areas along the Adyar river to take necessary precautions.

Monitoring of water levels in other reservoirs, including Poondi and Red Hills, crucial for Chennai’s water supply, is also underway, with the total storage in six water bodies standing at 10.3 thousand million cubic feet against a capacity of 13.2 tmcft on Wednesday.