WRD releases 100 cusecs water from Chennai reservoirs

CHENNAI: The intense rain since Thursday night has increased the inflows to the major reservoirs in the city, so the Water Resources Department released 100 cusecs of water each from Chembarambakkam, Poondi, and Puzhal reservoirs on Friday. The department advised the people residing in the low-lying areas to stay away from the water bodies.

Currently, the reservoirs are receiving 5,000 cusecs in the catchment. As heavy rain is predicted for Chennai and its neighboring districts for the next 48 hours, and to avoid inundation in the low-lying areas the shutters of dams are opened. The water discharged from Poondi and Puzhal lakes will flow through drains in 10 villages, and from the Kosasthailayar River the water will reach Ennore sea.

The storage capacity in Redhills Puzhal lake is 2.356 TMC against 3.300 TMC, and Poondi reservoir has 2.521 TMC of water. If heavy rain continues in Chennai and suburbs, depending on the rainfall in the catchment the water outflow from the major reservoirs will be increased gradually.