Water Crisis: 40% cut in piped water supply in Chennai

Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is going through severe water crisis. The state capital is facing a 40% cut in piped water supply as the four reservoirs have run dry.

The Chennai MetroWater has cut piped water supply by 40%. City requires 800 million litres of water every day. But the government supplies only 525 million litres, reported NDTV

People are using the water supplied through tankers for drinking and washing as the ground water levels have gone down and hence the shortage. Already expensive, tankers have now doubled their prices but even then the water doesn't reach them on time.

The resorvoirs - Cholavaram (full capacity 1,081 mcft) and Redhills (3,300 mcft)- which cater to the Chennai's water needs are dry while the storage at Poondi reservoir is 24 mcft as against full capacity of 3,231 mcft, according to Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Chennai Metro).

The Chembarambakkam lake (full capacity 3,645 mcft) has water level of mere 1 mcft.

With not enough water to drink, for many bathing or washing clothes is out of the question leading to fears of illness and disease. Along Chennai's IT Corridor, high rise apartments and IT parks are under severe stress with no piped water supply. Turyaa, a five-star hotel requires one lakh litres a day but it gets just half of it.

According to a report in The News Minute, the cost for a 12,000 litre tanker of water ranged between ₹3000 – ₹6000. For a tanker carrying 24,000 litres of water, the cost was doubled.

Last year, in June, these tankers admit they were charging only upto ₹1500 for 12,000 litres of water. In comparison to Metrowater that provides 9000 Litres of water at ₹700. And when compared to their own rates last year, charges are up by 100% - 300%.

Metrowater has called upon the association of water tanker to warn its members against overcharging people. The Association has also informed the government that lawful action should be taken against tankers that are charging over Rs 3500 but predict a huge hurdle in this effort.