Chennai: With summer approaching, Chennai residents can expect some relief on the water front as the second spell of Krishna water has begun flowing into the Poondi reservoir. The water resources department (WRD) expects to receive about four tmcft of water till April. There are five reservoirs supplying water to the city. While they are currently at around 80% of their storage capacity, the additional inflow is a precautionary step to meet the expected rise in demand. In the first spell between July and Oct 2025, the city’s reservoirs received 3.7tmcft of water from the Kandaleru dam. On average, Krishna water was released at 300 to 400 cusecs during this period. For the second spell (Jan–April), the Andhra Pradesh govt discharged water from the dam on Feb 25, which has now reached the Poondi reservoir.So far, 150mcft of Krishna water has reached the city reservoir. From Poondi, excess water from the reservoir was diverted at the rate of 250 cusecs through the link canal to Red Hills and Chembarambakkam reservoirs.”During the northeast monsoon, the reservoirs reached full capacity. Currently, only 1.5tmcft of storage is available. To ensure the city’s drinking water demand is met during summer, Krishna water is being stored in advance,” said C Podupanithilagam, chief engineer (Chennai region), WRD.Due to the recent monsoon spells, the Andhra Pradesh govt received copious rainfall, and its reservoirs are now about 80% full. “During the peak summer months, especially in May, Andhra Pradesh may need to prioritize its own drinking water requirements and may not be able to discharge water then. As a precautionary measure, water is being stored now to meet summer demand,” the official added.As per the agreement between the govts, Andhra Pradesh is required to supply 12tmcft Krishna water during the first spell. However, only 3.7tmcft was drawn, as the city reservoirs already reached full capacity during the 2025 northeast monsoon. Similarly, during the second spell, the department expects to receive around 3 to 4tmcft this year.
