Krishna water supply to Chennai from Andhra Pradesh’s Kandaleru reservoir is expected to stop within the next two to three days after storage in the reservoir fell sharply, with the current release reduced to 40 cusecs, according to a senior Water Resources Department official quoted by Times of India.
Chennai received about 3 TMC of Krishna water between May and September, below the usual 4-5 TMC supplied during the period. The lower inflow has raised concerns about the contribution of the inter-state water source to the city’s reservoir reserves.
Andhra Pradesh began releasing water from Kandaleru on February 25 to augment Chennai’s storage, and the water reached Poondi reservoir on March 4. The release was temporarily stopped on March 29 because of maintenance work on water bodies in Andhra Pradesh. Supply resumed on May 15, initially at 180-200 cusecs, and continued at that level until July 10.
The release was increased to 455 cusecs in July despite low storage at Kandaleru, and that rate was maintained until the first week of September. From September 10, the discharge was reduced to 100 cusecs before gradually falling to the current 40 cusecs.
The official attributed the reduction to the absence of rainfall in Andhra Pradesh and Kandaleru’s storage level of 17 TMC. The state also needs to meet its water requirements for second-crop cultivation. Officials said the Chennai-bound release could resume if the reservoir receives adequate inflows after rainfall in its catchment areas.
Chennai’s reservoirs currently hold around 5 TMC of water, which officials estimate can meet the city’s requirements for about five months. The 3 TMC received from Krishna so far is expected to support the supply for another three months, potentially taking availability up to February 2027. Officials, however, said a deficient northeast monsoon could result in water shortages during the summer of 2027.
