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The Water Resources Department proposes to replace two dilapidated shutters of the Poondi reservoir this summer.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
The Water Resources Department has decided to seek release of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh after a couple of months in view of shutter repair work being taken up in Poondi reservoir.
The work is crucial as the reservoir is the prime storage point of the Krishna water that flows in through the Kandaleru-Poondi canal. The reservoir has a storage of 1.98 tmcft. of water as against its capacity of 3.23 tmcft.
The department has chalked out a proposal to transfer water from Poondi reservoir to Chembarambakkam and Red Hills facilities through the link canal in May and June. This is to enable replacement of two dilapidated shutters, which were last revamped four decades ago. These shutters had not been operated in the last five years, the officials said.
The reservoir has to be dried up to prevent silt formation in the Kosasthalaiyar river. The dead storage of 50-60 mcft too would be conveyed to Cholavaram reservoir through Tamaraipakkam anicut.
The proposal was sent to the government after consulting the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. “We will need nearly 45 days to complete the work. This will not disrupt daily water supply to the city in summer. Water will be diverted and drawn from other reservoirs,” said an official.
Chennai gets Krishna water in two spells — January-April and July-October. Water discharge from Kandaleru reservoir upstream in Andhra Pradesh was suspended in January-end as Chennai had copious storage. “We plan to seek water release only for the next spell in July. This will help us complete the maintenance work in the K.P. canal in Tamil Nadu limits,” another senior official said.
Concrete lining
The department has completed nearly 90% of the work to provide concrete lining on the slope of the canal between 3.88 km and 10 km. The ₹24-crore project will help arrest seepage and prevent accumulation of silt in the canal.
Concrete lining is constructed to prevent seepage and accumulation of silt in the canal. Proposals have been submitted to the government to carry out similar work in other stretches of the canal, the officials added.
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