Chennai: The city is also facing an acute water crisis. The storage in the four reservoirs has already hit rock bottom and is expected to last only another 15 days. Metro water has now started tapping the agricultural wells on the city outskirts to meet the demand.
Metro Water has also started other measures like sinking of new borewells, additional filling points and extending the operation of tankers. In addition to new water tanks, the existing tanks are also being repaired to arrest leaks.
According to reports, while Metro Water officials maintain that they are supplying 550 mld of water, experts say that after the loss of water during transmission, only 400-450 mld reaches residents.
The city is being supplied with less than half its original requirement of 1,200 mld, which translates into an average of 61 litres of water every day per Chennaiite, including for all usage. The WHO standards mandate that every person living in cities should get 135 litres per capita per day.