Krishna Water Inflow to Chennai Rises to 464 Cusecs at Poondi Canal

Chennai received a high volume of Krishna water on Saturday, with inflows touching nearly 464 cubic feet per second (cusecs) at the Kandaleru Poondi canal entry point. The increased flow comes as widespread rainfall continues to evade catchment areas of the city's drinking water reservoirs during a weak southwest monsoon.

Officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) stated that Andhra Pradesh authorities stepped up the water discharge despite low storage levels in their own state reservoirs, including Kandaleru, which is currently operating at only 30% of its total capacity. A team of WRD and Chennai Metrowater officials had visited Andhra Pradesh last month, where Andhra Pradesh authorities pledged to release around 400 cusecs of water. WRD officials had requested an inflow of approximately 500 cusecs to stabilize dipping storage levels in Chennai's reservoirs.

According to officials, such high volumes of Krishna water are typically received only during the rainy season. However, Andhra Pradesh released water during this critical period to prevent a rapid decline in storage. Neighboring districts, including Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, have recorded a rainfall deficit of more than 25% this season.

Since July 1, Chennai has received nearly 1,000 million cubic feet (mcft) of Krishna water under the current spell. Water managers noted that if an inflow of around 500 cusecs continues daily, storage in Chennai’s reservoirs could be bolstered by nearly 1,300 mcft over the next month. This volume is equivalent to one full month of drinking water supply for the city.

Water received at the Poondi reservoir is transferred to the waterbody at Red Hills for the city’s drinking water supply. Currently, the five major reservoirs serving Chennai hold nearly 44% of their combined capacity. Water managers expect to stave off a water crisis this year with the available storage, and the department expects the water release to increase further in the coming days.