According to sources in the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department, on an average only 225 cusecs of the 400 cusecs released every day from the Kandaleru reservoir in AP reaches the Tamaraikuppam zero point in TN. And from July 15, when the water discharge commenced from Kandaleru this year, so far only 333.6 tmcft of water has reached the State, while Andhra Pradesh has released over 450 tmcft. Officials say the loss mainly occurs at the vulnerable Varadaiahpalayam point of the 152 km long canal. When theKrishna water meanders towards Varadaiahpalayam, which is located at the 120 km point of the canal, every day at least 40 cusecs of water is being lost in seepage.

Not that the officials of both the States did not anticipate the seepage. In fact, there was heavy seepage and leakage at Varadaiahpalayam and adjoining Sathyavedu last year too. As much as 2 tmcft of water, which will serve Chennai at least for a month was wasted away last year.

Officials of both the States, in an effort to avert a repeat of the 1997 fiasco, drew up plans to plug the 14 leakage points along the 152 km long open canal. But as reported earlier, the water discharge began on July 15 when the cement lining of the vulnerable points was just about half-finished. And in Varadaiahpalayam, which is the infamous trouble spot of the Krishna canal, the repair work had not been completed even minutes before the water trickled past the vulnerable reach. But AP Telugu Ganga Project Chief Engineer P K Manoranjan had claimed that thetransmission loss would not be more than 25 per cent and that all repair works had been completed.

But the ground reality is just the contrary, as almost half the water let off Kandaleru is being lost mid-way before reaching TN. Experts say the porous soil matrix at Varadaiahpalayam, experts say, is vulnerable to seepage and only a complete paver or mechanised cement lining of canal will arrest seepage.

But AP officials say that the loss could have been prevented if TN had given them one more month's time to complete the repair works. However, with the loss still on the higher side, the AP Irrigation officials have decided to wait for a fortnight more to step up the water discharge from the present quantum of 400 cusecs.

While 15 to 20 per cent loss of water during flow was envisaged when the scheme was conceived 14 years ago, the nearly 50 per cent loss for the third year in succession, experts say exposes the lack of concerted effort to arrest seepage. However, Tamil Nadu PWD officials claim that inthe last four days, the seepage has been brought down from 180 cusecs to 140 cusecs. ``The realisation at Tamraikuppam has been increased from 220 cusecs to 248 cusecs in the last four days'', said PWD Chief Engineer, Chennai Region, Thangarajan. He added that the AP officials were providing a clay blanket over the seepage points to contain transmission loss. Unless the seepage is checked effectively, the Telugu Ganga project which has swallowed up over Rs 2100 crore in the last 14 years will bring into Chennai only a little over 2 tmcft of the total 5 tmcft to be discharged from AP over the next four months.

And that is hardly sufficient to slake Chennai's thirst.