Andhra Pradesh Resumes Krishna: After a brief suspension due to repair work. The Krishna River water supply from Andhra Pradesh to Chennai is expected to resume on May 9. Water Resources Department (WRD) officials informed that water released from the Kandaleru reservoir will reach the Tamil Nadu border by Thursday night or early Friday morning.
The supply was interrupted briefly by Andhra Pradesh officials to fix the sluice gate on the Kandaleru-Poondi (KP) canal close to Kalahasti. Once the maintenance was done, water supply is scheduled to resume, keeping the reservoirs of Chennai well-stocked.
Critical Function of the Krishna River in the Water Supply of Chennai
Krishna River is also among the prime sources of water supply to Chennai, particularly in summer months. Krishna water is also stored in the Poondi reservoir of Tiruvallur district and is pumped later to Red Hills reservoir, one of the prime suppliers of the city. Inflows had also come to an end since April 24.
To ensure a steady supply, Andhra Pradesh authorities have increased water discharge to 1,170 cubic feet per second (cusecs). However, officials noted that the dry canal bed has slowed movement. Currently, water has reached the 70-km mark between Venkatagiri and Kalahasti and must travel another 82 km to cross into Tamil Nadu at Uthukottai.
Since March 29, Krishna water has accumulated 600 million cubic feet (mcft) in Chennai reservoirs. Now realizing a great storage level gain. WRD hopes for consistent supply till June-end and thus sufficient reserve for increasing water demands of the city.
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Chennai Metrowater is currently supplying 1,087 million liters per day, and the five key reservoirs in Tiruvallur district are at 64.4% capacity of their total 11,757 mcft. Additionally, the Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district is supplementing Chennai’s distribution network.
As the water supply resumed, Chennai reservoirs will recharge, bringing relief as summer heats up. The officials are dedicated to keeping track of flow rates and maintaining a seamless delivery to match the rising demand of the city.