Pilloor dam receives in ow from Porthimund lake in Ooty
After the water level at Pilloor dam dropped to dead storage level of less than 20 feet on Monday, approximately 70 million cubic feet of water from Porthimund lake in Ooty will be utilised to supply up to 200 million litres of water per day to areas within the Coimbatore Corporation’s limits for the next two weeks.
The temporary air lock issue at the water outlet point, caused by lack of water above the dead storage level on Monday, was resolved by supplying water from the lake, according to Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran. The dam’s water level now stands at approximately 55 feet after receiving water from the lake.
In addition, plans are under way to make available another 200 MLD (million litres per day) of water from the upper reaches of Bhavani River, where water is being utilised by Tangedco. This will provide the city with an additional 20 days of drinking water.
A press release issued by the district administration on Tuesday stated that the Corporation was authorised to install up to 50 borewells in the city to harness groundwater. As of April 30, approximately 27 borewells have been installed, with depths ranging between 20 and 600 feet.
“In most zones, water was found between 20 and 150 feet, but in northern areas such as Saravanampatti and Thudiyalur, groundwater was found only at about 600 feet,” Mr. Prabhakaran said. However, ocials are optimistic that the relatively good level of groundwater can help the city go on until June to meet the need for water for domestic purposes.
The press release also mentioned that 24 new borewells are being dug in panchayat areas and 15 borewells will be set up in areas within the Corporation limits on war-time basis.
Additionally, the civic body has identied ve abandoned quarries located around Madukkarai and L&T Bypass Road to pump water for domestic purpose. “These quarries contain around 25 million litres of water which can be used for domestic purposes. We have sent water samples for testing,” the Commissioner said.
Further, 40 million litres of water is being drawn from the 2,649 existing borewells equipped with pressure pumps for domestic use. This water is supplied through public tanks and pipe connections. Four new pressure pumps and ve puriers will also be set up to lter water.
While the Corporation gets 236.3 MLD of water from various sources, Pilloor dam will now contribute approximately 200 MLD. The remaining drinking water requirement of about 36 MLD will be supplied from Siruvani till June.
Sources said rain was expected in the rst week of May, which would help ease the situation. However, in case there was no rain, the civic body planned to reduce drinking water supply and increase water supply for domestic needs to households.