The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : April showers `had only a marginal impact'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Others

April showers `had only a marginal impact'

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI.: The impact of showers that drenched the city early this month was only marginal, according to Chennai Metrowater.

The rainfall helped increase groundwater level by 10 cm in the city, which gradually came down to the same level after a week, said a Metrowater official.

"It helped in maintaining the same water level and a slight improvement in the water quality. If we had received more rainfall, it would have ensured sustained increase of water level," he said. The city reservoirs also experienced similar condition as the rain helped in wetting the lakes.

Citing a Metrowater survey in January 2005, he said the water level had improved slightly. The average water level has increased by one metre in most areas. It stood at about five metres below the ground level compared to January, 2004 as per the readings taken by Metrowater.

The study was based on the data of water table below the ground level collected from observatory wells. It differed from the recent survey of Water Resources Organisation that was based on below mean sea level, said a Metrowater official.

The increase in the water table can be attributed to better rainfall and less extraction due to improved pipeline supply, he added. While the city received an annual rainfall of 688 mm in 2003, it recorded a rainfall of 1,189 mm in 2004, which almost touched the average rainfall of 1,200 mm.

The improvement in water level and quality depended on the soil characteristics of the areas. While areas such as Kodungaiyur, Ayanavaram, T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Tondiarpet, Adyar and Mylapore have done better than other areas, areas such as Washermanpet, Perambur and Vysarpadi did not show much improvement.

The wster level in the Metrowater-owned well fields, which is used for the city's water supply, has also improved by at least two metres in January 2005. The water level may be expected to increase depending on the sustained rainfall and decrease in the levels of manual extraction, the official added.

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