Heavy rainfall continues to lash the city and 4 cm rainfall was recorded on Thursday. Recent spate of rainfall gave much respite to Thiruvananthapuram which recorded the second-worst monsoon rainfall this season. However, the rainfall could not bring a reprieve to the drinking water crisis.
According to senior KWA officials, the picture was different at the catchment areas of the Peppara dam, the only reservoir which supplies potable water to the city.
“The city got heavy rainfall. But there wasn’t much rainfall over the catchment areas of Peppara dam. The current water-level is only 98.9 metres. It has the capacity to ensure water supply only for next 45-50 days,” KWA chief engineer K P Krishna Kumar said.
“The dam was overflowing last year” he added. The storage level of Peppara dam is 104.5 metre.
Recently, the KWA had decided to bring water from Neyyar dam to tide over the water crisis. It is keeping a tab on the monsoon situation in the state.
“We will wait before taking a decision on bringing water from Neyyar. If we get sufficient rainfall, we will drop the project. Also North East Monsoon is approaching. So there is a chance to get over the crisis,” Krishna Kumar said.
However, the Forest Department raised objections against laying pipes through forest land. The KWA’s move to bring water from Neyyar as well as to raise the storage-level of Peppara dam is facing severe opposition from the Forest Department. According to the forecast of the India Meteorological Department, city will get rainfall till Saturday morning. City is pinning hope on North East Monsoon, which was excess last year.
Months from October to December is considered as the North East Monsoon period.
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