The weakening southwest monsoon and sparse rainfall across Coimbatore district have led to a gradual decline in the Siruvani reservoir level, the city's primary drinking water source, with the storage dropping from 20.76 ft to 20.37 ft over the past four days, against its full storage level of 44.61 ft.
Coimbatore: The water level in the Siruvani Reservoir, the primary source of drinking water for Coimbatore city, has continued to decline for the fourth consecutive day as weakening southwest monsoon conditions and sparse rainfall across the district have reduced inflows into the reservoir.
According to the latest data, the reservoir's water level stood at 20.37 ft on Sunday against its full storage level of 44.61 ft. Over the past four days, the water level has steadily dropped from 20.76 ft on July 24 to 20.70 ft on July 25, 20.53 ft on July 26 and20.37 ft on July 27.
Rainfall in the Siruvani catchment has also witnessed a sharp decline. While the dam recorded 25 mm of rainfall on July 24, it received only 14 mm, 24 mm and3 mm over the next three days. At Adivaram, another key monitoring point in the catchment, 7 mm of rainfall was recorded on July 24, followed by no rainfall on the subsequent three days.
The falling reservoir level comes amid a lull in southwest monsoon activity across Coimbatore district. Most parts of the district have recorded little to no rainfall over the past few days, with dry weather prevailing across the plains. Only isolated hilly regions, including Valparai, have received light and scattered showers.
Despite the Coimbatore Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (CWSAS) increasing its daily drawal from 51.31 MLD on July 24 to 69.96 MLD on July 27, the absence of widespread rainfall in the catchment areas has resulted in limited inflows, contributing to the gradual decline in storage.
With monsoon activity expected to remain subdued in the immediate future, the Siruvani reservoir level is likely to remain under close watch as it continues to serve as Coimbatore's principal source of drinking water.
According to the latest data, the reservoir's water level stood at 20.37 ft on Sunday against its full storage level of 44.61 ft. Over the past four days, the water level has steadily dropped from 20.76 ft on July 24 to 20.70 ft on July 25, 20.53 ft on July 26 and20.37 ft on July 27.
Rainfall in the Siruvani catchment has also witnessed a sharp decline. While the dam recorded 25 mm of rainfall on July 24, it received only 14 mm, 24 mm and3 mm over the next three days. At Adivaram, another key monitoring point in the catchment, 7 mm of rainfall was recorded on July 24, followed by no rainfall on the subsequent three days.
The falling reservoir level comes amid a lull in southwest monsoon activity across Coimbatore district. Most parts of the district have recorded little to no rainfall over the past few days, with dry weather prevailing across the plains. Only isolated hilly regions, including Valparai, have received light and scattered showers.
Despite the Coimbatore Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (CWSAS) increasing its daily drawal from 51.31 MLD on July 24 to 69.96 MLD on July 27, the absence of widespread rainfall in the catchment areas has resulted in limited inflows, contributing to the gradual decline in storage.
With monsoon activity expected to remain subdued in the immediate future, the Siruvani reservoir level is likely to remain under close watch as it continues to serve as Coimbatore's principal source of drinking water.