Chennai, Nov 25 (UNI) Even as the severe cyclonic storm

'Nivar' inched towards the Tamil Nadu coast, the PWD

authorities have decided to open the sluice gates of the

Chembarambakkam reservoir, which was fast filling up

to its full level of 24 ft.

Official sources said flood warning was issued to people

in low lying areas along the Adyar river when the reservoir

would be opened around noon after its level reached the

22-ft mark.

The flood warning was issued to low-level areas along Adyar

river and surplus courses such as Kundrathur, Sirukalathur,

Tirumudivakkam and Tiruneermalai.

The Adyar river has been widened to carry up to one lakh

cusecs in the downstream stretch near Saidapet, officials

said.

The reservoir will be opened after a five year gap and the

authorities allayed the fears of the public about flooding

of the Adyar river as only minimal water would be released

through the shutters.

With a steady increase in inflow of 4,027 cusecs (cubic feet

per second) and the water level rising, the Water Resources

Department decided to release about 1,000 cusecs of surplus

water into the Adyar river.

The storage level in the reservoir as of 0800 hrs today stood

at 3,028 million cubic feet, against its capacity of 3,645 mcft.

It may be recalled that Krishna water was being diverted to

this water body to build storage until a few days ago. It

received a rainfall of about 10 cm till this morning and the

Central Water Commission has predicted about 20 cm of rains

in Chembarambakkam till early tomorrow morning, when the

cyclone makes the land fall.

UNI GV 1118