TN reservoirs almost full; weather office forecast more rain

Chennai (The Uttam Hindu): Even as heavy rain since the onset of the Northeast Monsoon from October 1 onwards filled Tamil Nadu's reservoirs close to full capacity, more rain is forecast in Chennai and adjoining districts on Wednesday. The Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rain in coastal districts, from Chennai to Nagapattinam, over the next few days, which may push water levels even higher. On Tuesday, water storage levels in the state's reservoirs were just 12 per cent short of their total capacity of 224.297 thousand million cubic feet (TMC). The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) reported that 12 reservoirs - three in the Coimbatore region, seven in the Madurai region, and two in the Chennai region - have reached full capacity. Additionally, storage in 18 reservoirs has exceeded 90 per cent of their total capacity, while 23 reservoirs have water levels between 70 per cent and 80 per cent. The Stanley Reservoir at Mettur, Tamil Nadu's largest, currently holds 97.51 per cent of its capacity, amounting to 91.146 TMC out of a total capacity of 93.470 TMC.

The dam recorded an inflow of 7,368 cusecs and discharged 1,300 cusecs downstream as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Sathanur Reservoir's water level stands at 117 feet, just below its full reservoir level (FRL) of 119 feet. The cumulative water storage across Tamil Nadu's reservoirs is at 195.455 TMC, leaving it 24.824 TMC short of full capacity. Heavy rain over the past two and a half weeks of the active Northeast Monsoon phase has significantly increased water inflows into the state’s 90 reservoirs, raising storage levels by 10.68 percentage points - from 76.46 per cent to 87.14 per cent. Downpours in districts such as Tenkasi, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ariyalur, Trichy, Karur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram have further boosted water levels.

Cyclone Fengal brought unprecedented rainfall to several northern districts, rapidly filling tanks and water bodies. In Tiruvannamalai, 507 out of 697 tanks are now full, along with 359 out of 578 tanks in Tiruvallur, 227 out of 336 tanks in Kallakurichi, and 460 out of 564 tanks in Chengalpattu. However, floods caused by the cyclone damaged several tanks and water bodies in northern districts, particularly Villupuram. As a result, water from some tanks had to be released, preventing them from reaching optimal storage levels. WRD officials have since undertaken temporary repairs to address the damages and maximise rainfall capture during the ongoing monsoon season.