The Water Resources Department on Thursday, December 12, issued a flood warning for parts of Thiruvallur and Chennai districts as the Poondi reservoir neared its full capacity. Officials announced that 1,000 cubic feet of water per second would be released into the Kosasthalaiyar river, cautioning residents of several villages along its banks.
The villages likely to be affected include Manali, Ennore, Manali Pudhunagar, and Sadayankuppam. Authorities have alerted the Thiruvallur district collector to initiate evacuation measures for over 25 low-lying villages in the area. The release of surplus water from the Poondi reservoir began around 1:30 pm on Thursday, officials said.
A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, near the Sri Lankan coast, has prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue orange and yellow alerts for several districts in Tamil Nadu for December 11 and 12. The IMD said the system, accompanied by an upper-air cyclonic circulation, is expected to move towards the Sri Lankan coastline.
Meanwhile, the water level at the Chembarambakkam lake stood at 21.19 feet on Thursday morning, just shy of its full capacity of 22 feet. Officials said that if the water level rises further, surplus water may be released as a precautionary measure. The release from Chembarambakkam could impact low-lying areas along the Adyar river basin in Chennai.
Cyclone Fengal, which brought rains in November, followed by heavy rainfall since December 11, has significantly improved the water levels in other reservoirs, including Puzhal and Veeranam, officials added.