TN reservoir storage falls to 37 pc as weak monsoon deepens water concerns
Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s reservoir storage has fallen sharply as an underperforming southwest monsoon and unusually high temperatures continue to strain the state’s water resources.
As of Monday, the 90 reservoirs monitored by the Water Resources Department together held 83.124 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), representing only 37.05 per cent of their combined capacity of 224.343 tmcft.
The position is considerably worse than a year ago, when the reservoirs contained 189.545 tmcft during the corresponding period.
The current volume is less than half of last year’s level, highlighting the severity of the rainfall deficit and raising concerns over irrigation and drinking-water availability in several districts.
Only the Gundar reservoir in Tenkasi district has reached its full capacity of 18.43 million cubic feet.
Most other reservoirs remain far below their storage limits. Of the 90 reservoirs, 58 have less than 25 per cent storage, 14 are between 26 per cent and 50 per cent, 15 are between 51 per cent and 76 per cent, and only two have crossed the 80 per cent mark.
Mettur, Tamil Nadu’s most important reservoir for Cauvery delta irrigation, held 43.275 tmcft on Monday, or 46.30 per cent of its total capacity of 93.470 tmcft.
During the same period last year, it had 91.114 tmcft, equivalent to 97.48 per cent of capacity. Water availability along the Cauvery between Mettur and Tiruchy remains relatively normal.
However, downstream and tail-end areas are facing serious shortages, including difficulties in meeting drinking-water requirements.
Officials said the state was managing existing demand for now, but maintaining a stable balance between supply and consumption was becoming increasingly challenging in reservoir-dependent regions.
The situation persists despite comparatively healthy storage in Karnataka’s four major Cauvery-linked reservoirs.
Krishnaraja Sagar stood at 63.64 per cent, Kabini at 92.31 per cent, Harangi at 97.06 per cent and Hemavathy at 86.56 per cent.
Water Resources Department officials said Karnataka had not released Tamil Nadu’s stipulated Cauvery share. Under the Supreme Court’s final order, Karnataka was required to release 9.190 tmcft in June and 31.240 tmcft in July.
Tamil Nadu, however, received only 2.915 tmcft and 0.7138 tmcft, respectively. Storage in other major irrigation reservoirs, including Bhavanisagar, Amaravathi and Vaigai, also remains poor.
Officials now consider it unlikely that Mettur will reach full capacity this season. With the southwest monsoon yielding inadequate rainfall, Tamil Nadu will depend heavily on the northeast monsoon later this year to replenish reservoirs and ease mounting pressure on agriculture and drinking-water supplies.