Andhra Pradesh to release water to Chennai for summer

Chennai will soon receive much-needed water as Andhra Pradesh has agreed to release water from the Kandaleru reservoir starting in April. This agreement comes after settling long-standing dues for the maintenance of the Krishna Canal. The city's water security is vital as summer approaches. Chennai's water supply relies heavily on an inter-state water-sharing deal made in the 1980s between the then leaders of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Under this agreement, Andhra Pradesh is supposed to release 12 thousand million cubic feet of water each year. This water flows into the Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur district before it is distributed throughout the city. The distribution process is important for residents. Since the Poondi reservoir does not have a treatment plant, the water is sent to the Red Hills reservoir first. Red Hills mainly supplies central and parts of north and south Chennai. Some water also flows to the Chembarambakkam reservoir, which serves the city's western and central areas. In areas of south Chennai that do not receive water from reservoirs, residents rely on desalination plants in Nemmeli. Metrowater areas XIV and XV, covering parts of Sholinganallur and Perungudi, completely depend on desalination for their water needs. This release from Kandaleru is expected to help alleviate water shortages and reduce the need for expensive tanker deliveries during the hot summer months. Currently, major reservoirs like Poondi, Red Hills, and Chembarambakkam have significant volumes of water, but some are still not at full capacity. With the release from Kandaleru, water levels in Chennai's reservoirs are likely to improve. This will enhance the water supply and ensure better distribution in different neighborhoods. Residents can look forward to a more stable water situation in the coming months.