Unexpected showers increase inflow of water into reservoirs in Chennai

CHENNAI: The untimely rainfall in the city and suburbs for the past three days led to a slight increase in the inflow of water into the reservoirs that supply water to Chennai.
A senior PWD official said among the six reservoirs, including Veeranam in Cuddalore, Chembarambakkam and Kannankottai Thervoikandigai received the highest rainfall, which was recorded at 79 mm and 25 mm respectively.
Poondi stood next with 15 mm rainfall followed by Veeranam with 5 mm rainfall. In Red Hills, 3 mm of rainfall was recorded, and the reservoir at Cholavaram had no record of any rainfall.
With the reservoirs filled with comfortable water levels, the city's water position has been smoothened by the unexpected rains. There has been a slight increase in the water levels of the reservoirs due to unexpected rains, he added. "The first-day rains slightly wetted the soil and when the rain continued for the next two days, water slowly started to flow into the reservoirs," another official said. The combined storage of all six reservoirs is 13,222 million cubic feet (mcft) of water and the storage as of Sunday morning was 9,946 mcft.
The storage of water level at the Red Hills reservoir on Sunday was 2,560 mcft and its full capacity is 3,300 mcft. At Cholavaram the water level was 831 mcft and its full capacity is 1,081mcft, Chembarambakkam has 2,994 mcft as against its full capacity of 3,645 mcft, Poondi reservoir had a water storage level of 2,116 mcft as against its full capacity of 3,231mcft. Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district has 945 mcft of water and its full capacity is 1,465 mcft. The sixth reservoir Kannakottai Thervoikandigai has 500 mcft of water, which is at its full capacity.