CHENNAI: Steady northeast monsoon rains over the past two months have significantly improved Tamil Nadu’s water storage levels, with reservoirs across the state recording a healthy rise. Officials said the increase would help sustain both drinking water supply and irrigation in the coming months.
According to Water Resources Department (WRD) data, the state’s 90 reservoirs together hold 195.835 TMC ft of water as on December 5, or 87.29% of their total capacity of 224.343 TMC ft. This is a notable rise from 78.55% on October 5, just before the monsoon began. Storage is also higher than the same period last year, when reservoirs held 180.411 TMC ft, or 80.43% of capacity. “The figures clearly show that storage this year is better,” an official said.
A senior WRD official noted that nine reservoirs, including Gundar in Tenkasi and Sothuparai in Theni, are full. Another 34 reservoirs are nearly full, with storage at 99.76%. Eighteen reservoirs are under red alert for exceeding 95% capacity, while 10 reservoirs are on orange alert at 90–95%.
In the Chennai zone, the Red Hills reservoir in Tiruvallur, one of the city’s major drinking water sources, has been issued a red alert. Officials said the precautionary status is not a cause for concern. The reservoir currently holds 3.144 TMC ft, or 95.27% of its 3.300 TMC ft capacity. In the 24 hours ending 6 am on Thursday, its catchment received 40 mm of rainfall, the second highest in the state. Cholavaram reservoir recorded the highest at 51 mm.
On the irrigation front, 15 major reservoirs, including Mettur, Bhavanisagar, and Amaravathi, have better storage than last year. “This will support farmers in the delta and western regions,” a senior official said.
With the monsoon still active in parts of the state, WRD officials expect storage to improve further, easing concerns over water availability in the months ahead.