Flood Management at Red Hills Reservoir

Flood Management and Water Resource Updates:

1. Flood Control Measures:

   • The floodgates of the Red Hills reservoir were reopened to manage increased inflow due to heavy rainfall in catchment areas.
   • Shutdown of the same floodgates occurred on October 29 due to decreased inflow after the initial Northeast monsoon phase in mid-October.

2. Current Reservoir Status:

   • Red Hills reservoir storage: 2,970 million cubic feet (mcft) against a total capacity of 3,300 mcft.
   • Combined storage of five major reservoirs: 10,052 mcft (86.54% of total capacity).

3. Water Discharge Rates:

   • Increased discharge from Red Hills reservoir from 200 cubic feet per second (cusecs) to 500 cusecs.
   • Poondi reservoir discharge was widened to 2,000 cusecs to manage incoming floodwaters.
   • Chembarambakkam reservoir discharge increased from 100 cusecs to 300 cusecs to maintain water levels safely.

4. Precautionary Measures and Public Safety:

   • Flood warnings issued to downstream areas, including Puzhal, Kosapur, Manali, and Sadayankuppam, advising residents to evacuate to safer locations.
   • Controlled water release planned to create flood buffer space during extreme weather and prevent flash floods.

5. Operational Guidelines for Reservoir Management:

   • The Water Resources Department (WRD) coordinated the processes for managing inflow/outflow to mitigate flood risks and ensure sustainable water supply.

6. Context of the Weather Event:

   • The measures were part of ongoing flood watch protocols associated with the Northeast monsoon season, which has seen fluctuating inflow levels necessitating responsive operational adjustments.

This summary provides key insights into water resource management as a response to rainfall and its implications for flood control, emphasizing the importance of strategic water regulation in times of extreme weather events.