The declining water level at the Siruvani reservoir, which stood at 29.26 feet against its permitted depth of 44.61 feet, and poor rainfall in its catchment areas have further strained the Coimbatore Corporation’s round-the-clock water distribution system.
Coimbatore’s round-the-clock drinking water supply system is facing increasing pressure as water levels at the Siruvani reservoir continue to decline amid poor rainfall in the catchment areas and the Western Ghats.
The weak southwest monsoon has affected inflows into key drinking water sources, including the Siruvani and Pilloor reservoirs, prompting the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board to scale down the daily water supply.
As of Sunday, the water level at the Siruvani reservoir stood at 29.26 feet against its permitted depth of 44.61 feet, marking a decline from 29.65 feet recorded a week earlier. Rainfall in the catchment areas and parts of the Western Ghats has remained negligible, raising concerns that the water level could decline further if the dry conditions continue.
The present supply from the source was 58.23 MLD against the drawal demand of 101.40 MLD, compared to 59.56 MLD a week ago.
With Coimbatore requiring close to 300 million litres of water a day, the reduced availability is expected to place further pressure on the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) 24/7 water distribution system. A further decline in Siruvani’s water level could directly affect drinking water supply to 58 wards covering around 1.2 lakh household connections.
Adding to the shortage, officials said nearly 10 million litres of water per day (MLD) is being lost through structural seepage before it can reach the city’s main supply lines.
The seepage issue at the Siruvani dam has remained a major concern, with earlier efforts to address the problem facing delays.
In a significant development, Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja, along with TWAD officials, visited the dam in Kerala in July and expedited efforts to undertake seepage repair works. The Kerala Irrigation Department has estimated the cost of the repairs at ₹18 crore.
Once completed, the works are expected to strengthen the dam and help make around 60 MLD of water available during summer for areas under the Coimbatore Corporation.
With the catchment areas continuing to remain dry, officials are closely monitoring the reservoir levels as further depletion could have a direct impact on the city’s drinking water supply.
The weak southwest monsoon has affected inflows into key drinking water sources, including the Siruvani and Pilloor reservoirs, prompting the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board to scale down the daily water supply.
As of Sunday, the water level at the Siruvani reservoir stood at 29.26 feet against its permitted depth of 44.61 feet, marking a decline from 29.65 feet recorded a week earlier. Rainfall in the catchment areas and parts of the Western Ghats has remained negligible, raising concerns that the water level could decline further if the dry conditions continue.
The present supply from the source was 58.23 MLD against the drawal demand of 101.40 MLD, compared to 59.56 MLD a week ago.
With Coimbatore requiring close to 300 million litres of water a day, the reduced availability is expected to place further pressure on the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) 24/7 water distribution system. A further decline in Siruvani’s water level could directly affect drinking water supply to 58 wards covering around 1.2 lakh household connections.
Adding to the shortage, officials said nearly 10 million litres of water per day (MLD) is being lost through structural seepage before it can reach the city’s main supply lines.
The seepage issue at the Siruvani dam has remained a major concern, with earlier efforts to address the problem facing delays.
In a significant development, Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja, along with TWAD officials, visited the dam in Kerala in July and expedited efforts to undertake seepage repair works. The Kerala Irrigation Department has estimated the cost of the repairs at ₹18 crore.
Once completed, the works are expected to strengthen the dam and help make around 60 MLD of water available during summer for areas under the Coimbatore Corporation.
With the catchment areas continuing to remain dry, officials are closely monitoring the reservoir levels as further depletion could have a direct impact on the city’s drinking water supply.