DHARMAPURI: Owing to significantly low rainfall after the southwest and northeast monsoon, farmers in Dharmapuri have expressed concern over the water needs for the upcoming summer crop.
As per data from the disaster management team, Dharmapuri, which receives 942 mm of rainfall on average, only received 690 mm of rainfall in 2025.
Farmers attributed this low rainfall to the shortfalls of the southwest and northeast monsoon. Data from the PWD (WRD) also showed that over 30 of the 74 lakes (spread over 100 acres) have no water reserves.
M Selvaraj, a farmer from Nallampalli, told TNIE, "In 2025, the downpours have been extremely poor, and this is evident because of the lack of water in lakes across the district. Over the past three years, the summers have been extremely harsh and crops have been damaged by the intense heatwave. If the situation remains unchanged, we expect a difficult period till summer. Over 90% of the 636 tanks (minor lakes and ponds) have no water reserve; rural areas across the district rely on water stored in these tanks for agriculture and livestock needs. The situation looks dire for farmers.”
S Murugan, a farmer from Karimangalam, said, "Sufficient water levels in eight key dams across the district offers some solace. But there is a question of whether it will be sufficient to handle the water needs for the district for the next six months. Usually, we get some showers in the summer. If that fails, we will only have to wait until monsoon. With Dharmapuri exhibiting erratic climate conditions, farmers are concerned.”
When TNIE reached out to officials in the PWD (WRD), they said, "The Chinnar, Vaniyar, Thoppaiyar, Nagavathi and Ichambadi dams are currently at 85% of their maximum capacity, and three other dams also have sufficient water to tide through the summer. There is no cause for concern. It is, however, advised to use water sparingly and conserve water as much as possible".
No - Dam - Max capacity - Present capacity
1 - Chinnar dam - 50 ft - 47.86 ft
2 - Kesargulihalla - 25.26 ft - 16.07
3 - Nagavathi - 24.60 ft - 23.55
4 - Thoppaiyar - 50.18 ft - 47.40
5 - Thumbalahalli - 14.76 ft - 9.28 ft
6 - Vaniyar - 65.27 ft -64.63 ft
7 - Varattar - 34.45 ft - 34.45
8 - Ichambadi - 17-35 - 17 .35