CHENNAI: The public works department will open the shutters of the Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur district around 5pm on Friday when the water level reaches 33 feet, officials said.
The water level stood at 32.9 feet in the afternoon with an inflow of 9,722 cusecs. The reservoir’s depth is 34 feet.
People living in low-lying areas were asked to move to safer places, said an official.
Initially, about 1,000 cusecs (cubic meters per second) of water will be released from the reservoir which is a major source of water for Chennai. Depending on the inflow, the water discharge will be increased.
PWD chief engineer S Asokan told TOI that heavy rainfall was reported in the catchment areas of the reservoir on Thursday due to cyclone Nivar.