Surplus water from Poondi reservoir released

With the water being released into the Kosasthalaiyar river, the district administration asked people living in low lying areas and those on its banks to move to safer places. Earlier, officials had on Wednesday released water from the Chembarambakkam lake,another key drinking water source for the city, after its level reached 22 feet out of the total 24 feet, with the sluice gates being opened for the first time in five years..

Authorities on Friday discharged about 1,000 cusecs of water from the Poondi reservoir, among the chief sources of drinking water supply to the metro, after its level neared full capacity in the wake of good inflows. The reservoir in neighboring Tiruvallur district has seen good inflows recently due to rains, including during the Nivar cyclone that crossed the Tamil Nadu coast on Thursday and from the Krishna river in neighboring Andhra Pradesh.

On Friday, following inflows of about 9,722 cusecs, the reservoir level stood at 33 feet against its full level of 35 feet, Water Resouces Department (WRD) officials said. With the water being released into the Kosasthalaiyar river, the district administration asked people living in low lying areas and those on its banks to move to safer places.

Earlier, officials had on Wednesday released water from the Chembarambakkam lake, another key drinking water source for the city, after its level reached 22 feet out of the total 24 feet, with the sluice gates being opened for the first time in five years..