SALEM: With insufficient rainfall in the catchment areas over the last several months and the intensifying summer season, the water level in Anaimaduvu and Kariyakoil dams near Vazhapadi in Salem dropped drastically, leaving farmers and villagers from over 50 villages struggling for irrigation and drinking water needs.
The Anaimaduvu Dam at Puludhikuttai and the Kariyakoil Dam near Pappanaickenpatti serve as the major water sources for the villages in Vazhapadi, Belur, Yethapur, and Pethanaickenpalayam regions, besides supporting irrigation for thousands of acres of farmland.
Officials and farmers said the reservoirs reached storage capacity during the northeast monsoon at the end of 2024 and surplus water had also been released from the dams. Water flowed in rivers and streams connected to the reservoirs till February this year, helping water bodies, while also significantly improving groundwater levels in nearby villages.
However, the continuous release of water for irrigation, drinking water supply and groundwater recharge during the summer, coupled with poor rainfall in the recent monsoon period, has led to a steep decline in storage in both reservoirs this year.
At present, only limited quantities of water remain stored in the two dams, with large portions of the reservoirs appearing almost dry. As inflow to rivers, lakes and check dams has reduced sharply, groundwater levels in several villages have also started declining rapidly.
Farmers in the region said water scarcity has severely affected agriculture, with many open wells and borewells running dry. Besides, several villagers are also facing difficulties in maintaining cattle due to the water shortage.
Farmers said they are now dependent on the summer rain and the upcoming monsoon season, expecting that the reservoirs would receive fresh inflow and groundwater levels would improve again.