Andhra Pradesh Doubles Krishna Water Release to Chennai to 450 Cusecs

Andhra Pradesh has doubled its release of Krishna river water to Chennai to 450 cusecs, providing a crucial boost to the city's drinking water storage at Poondi reservoir ahead of the upcoming northeast monsoon season.

A senior official from the Water Resources Department stated that the increased supply comes despite Andhra Pradesh holding relatively low storage reserves of 14 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), which is approximately one-fifth of its total capacity of 68.03 tmcft. The department anticipates receiving at least 2 tmcft of Krishna water by the end of this month, surpassing the volumes received during the same period in previous years.

According to water resources officials, this marks the first instance where Andhra Pradesh has released water despite maintaining such low storage levels. The official added that if the demand rises in Chennai, authorities in Andhra Pradesh can scale up the outflow to 500 cusecs upon request from Tamil Nadu.

The current cycle of water supply began when Andhra Pradesh initiated releases from the Kandaleru dam on February 25, which reached the Poondi reservoir on March 4. The discharge was briefly halted on March 29 to accommodate maintenance work at water bodies in Andhra Pradesh. Discharges resumed on May 15 at a rate of 180 to 200 cusecs and remained steady until July 10 before being increased.

Typically, Andhra Pradesh discharges roughly 2 tmcft during the summer season in a spell spanning July to October. However, water managers in Chennai now project that the total inflow will exceed 2 tmcft before the end of the current month.

Water managers noted that the augmented discharge will help Chennai and its adjoining districts prevent drinking water shortages during the summer. The city requires approximately 1 tmcft of water each month. Officials estimate that the enhanced supply from the Kandaleru dam could elevate total storage across Chennai's reservoirs to 7 tmcft prior to the arrival of the northeast monsoon.