Poondi reservoir’s shutters opened for second time this month

For the second time this month, the floodgates of Poondi reservoir were opened on Friday (December 27, 2024) as the nearly full water body continues to receive inflow.

For the second time this month, the floodgates of Poondi reservoir were opened on Friday (December 27, 2024) as the nearly full water body continues to receive inflow.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) opened the shutters to let out about 1,000 cubic feet of water per second (cusecs) on Friday morning as the water level in Poondi reservoir touched 34.92 ft against its full level of 35 ft. It has a storage of 3,121 million cubic feet against its capacity of 3,231 mcft.

Water was also being diverted to other reservoirs in Red Hills and Chembarambakkam, which now have reached nearly 92% of their storage capacity, through a link canal.

Officials of the WRD said Poondi reservoir received inflow of 1,290 cusecs from catchment areas, including Nandiyar river, and water released from Krishnapuram dam in Andhra Pradesh.

“We are planning to conserve maximum quantum of water and the discharge would be conveyed to Tamaraipakkam anicut and Cholavaram reservoir. The storage in Cholavaram lake will be stepped up to 500 mcft owing to ongoing repair works,” said an official.

The department has, however, issued flood warning to low-level areas downstream, including Somandevanpattu, Meiyur, Tamaraipakkam, Athoor, Bandikavanur, Pudhukuppam, and Napalayam in Tiruvallur district and Idayanchavadi, Manali, Sadayankuppam, and Ennore along Kosasthalaiyar river.

The river had carried a peak flow of nearly 20,000 cusecs earlier this month. At present, the waterway had normal flow and there may not be much of an inundation threat. The flood warning was given as a precautionary measure, the official said.