At a time when Chennai’s water crisis has hit its peak, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to work on water bodies in the city to improve its storage capacity.

According to a news report, Chennai Corporation will work on 210 water bodies within its limits which, in the long term, will address the water problem in the city. The eco-restoration works to be undertaken by the Corporation includes plugging the sewage flow into the water bodies and removing the encroachments that dot the city’s water bodies. The eco-restoration work is expected to improve storage capacity by over 700 tmcft. 

Officials started inspection of the water bodies earlier this week and the work on increasing storage capacity of 70 water bodies is expected to be completed shortly. Residents associations and corporate companies have also reportedly pitched in to take up eco-restoration works of tanks in their respective localities, The Hindureported.

This decision comes at a time when Chennai city is going through a severe water shortage. Hotels have been pushed to cut down on services and many IT companies have asked their employees to work from their homes. Several schools in the city have also announced closure for a few days due to the water crisis, instructing the students to stay home, though it has only been days since the schools reopened after summer vacation. Chennai residents have been pushed to come to the streets to get a pot or two of water for domestic use.

The water levels in Chennai’s four tanks stood at a mere 0.20% of the total capacity as of Thursday. While Cholavaram and Redhills lakes went bone dry with the water level touching zero, Chembarambakkam lake has one mcft of water and Poondi lake has 22 mcft of water.