The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Water levels in city reservoirs shoot up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 27, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Water levels in city reservoirs shoot up

Staff Reporter

Combined storage up by 940 mcft

Chennai : The downpour that lashed Chennai and its suburbs till the early hours of Thursday has brought heavy inflows into the reservoirs.

Red Hills received 140 mm of rainfall in only 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. This is an unusually high amount of rainfall for one day so early in the monsoon season. The rains brought in inflows of 1,848 cusecs to the reservoir.

Weather officials said that the northeast monsoon had been vigorous over Tamil Nadu. The catchment area of Tamaraipakkam received the highest amount of rainfall in the state, 150 mm, in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The rains since October 1 have improved the total storage in the reservoirs of Red Hills, Poondi, Cholavaram and Chembarambakkam by 940 million cubic feet (mcft). With this, the existing storage of 4,381 mcft (October 1) went up to 5,318 mcft on October 26. Rainfall received by other reservoirs: Poondi - 76 mm, Cholavaram - 81 mm and Chembarambakkam - 94 mm. The rains also drenched the suburbs: Meenambakkam received 140 mm and Tambaram - 110 mm. Chennai city received 82 mm.

More rain in store

The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast more wet weather for the city. Cloudy skies and spells of heavy showers are likely on Friday too.

A Met official said that the low pressure trough positioned over South West and adjoining West Central Bay off Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coasts continued to persist.

Officials said that between October 19 and 25, the city received 38 percent excess rainfall.

The Metrowater Board has made arrangements for any contingency in water supply or sewage disposal.

A release here said the complaint cell (Ph: 28418436/5312) in the Metrowater head office would be manned round-the-clock. Area offices may also be contacted over phone 24 hours.

The numbers to call (from Area 1 to 10 A/B) are: 25984649; 25902651; 25517457; 26444623; 26211122; 24995642; 28361004; 28153803; 23811932 and 24919772.

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