Tamil Nadu Reservoirs Near Capacity; More Rain Expected

Chennai, Dec 18 (NationPress) Despite the significant rainfall that has occurred since the start of the Northeast Monsoon on October 1, which has brought Tamil Nadu's reservoirs close to their full capacity, more rain is predicted for Chennai and its surrounding districts on Wednesday.

The Meteorological Department has indicated that heavy rainfall will persist in coastal areas, specifically from Chennai to Nagapattinam, over the upcoming days, potentially elevating water levels even further.

As of Tuesday, the water storage levels across the state's reservoirs were only 12 percent below their total capacity of 224.297 thousand million cubic feet (TMC).

The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) reported that 12 reservoirs - three located in the Coimbatore area, seven in Madurai, and two in Chennai - have achieved full capacity.

Moreover, the water levels in 18 reservoirs have surpassed 90 percent of their total capacity, while 23 reservoirs maintain levels between 70 percent and 80 percent.

The Stanley Reservoir at Mettur, the largest in Tamil Nadu, currently holds 97.51 percent of its capacity, equating to 91.146 TMC out of a total potential of 93.470 TMC.

This dam has recorded an inflow of 7,368 cusecs and has released 1,300 cusecs downstream as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the water level at the Sathanur Reservoir is at 117 feet, just shy of its full reservoir level (FRL) of 119 feet.

Cumulatively, the water storage in Tamil Nadu's reservoirs stands at 195.455 TMC, leaving it 24.824 TMC short of full capacity.

Intense rainfall over the past two and a half weeks of the active Northeast Monsoon has significantly boosted water inflows into the state's 90 reservoirs, raising storage levels by 10.68 percentage points, moving from 76.46 percent to 87.14 percent.

Downpours in regions such as Tenkasi, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ariyalur, Trichy, Karur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram have further enhanced water levels.

Cyclone Fengal brought extraordinary rainfall to numerous northern districts, rapidly filling tanks and water bodies.

In Tiruvannamalai, 507 out of 697 tanks are now full, in Tiruvallur 359 out of 578 tanks, in Kallakurichi 227 out of 336 tanks, and in Chengalpattu 460 out of 564 tanks.

However, the floods triggered by the cyclone have caused damage to several tanks and water bodies in northern districts, particularly Villupuram.

This resulted in the necessity to release water from some tanks, preventing them from achieving optimal storage levels.

Officials from the WRD have initiated temporary repairs to address the damages and maximize rainfall capture during this active monsoon season.