Chennai, Jan 27 (NationPress) Tamil Nadu is entering the summer season with a notable decline in water reserves due to a slight reduction in rainfall during the northeast monsoon. This situation has raised alarms regarding the availability of drinking water throughout the state.

According to the Water Resources Department (WRD), the combined storage in 90 major reservoirs is currently at 146.373 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) as of Monday, which is nearly 20% lower than the previous year's figures for the same time period.

The existing storage represents 65.24% of the total reservoir capacity of 224.343 tmcft. In contrast, last year’s reservoirs held 176.560 tmcft, amounting to 78.72% of capacity during this timeframe.

Officials cite the deficit in rainfall in crucial catchment areas as the main reason for this shortfall during the northeast monsoon.

The predicament has escalated rapidly in recent weeks. On January 2, the combined storage was 168.418 tmcft, which accounted for approximately 75.07% of total capacity. Within just 23 days, the state has consumed nearly 10% of its stored water, showcasing both usage and evaporation losses in the midst of dry weather.

Notable reservoirs like Mettur and Bhavanisagar are experiencing a continuous drop in water levels due to insufficient inflows and lack of consistent rainfall.

A senior WRD official stated that the inflow into Mettur reservoir plummeted to 70 cusecs on Sunday, a stark contrast to 4,794 cusecs on December 1, 2025. “In the past two months, inflows have progressively decreased. As dry conditions are anticipated to persist, both water usage and evaporation losses are set to rise,” the official warned.

Given the current storage levels, WRD officials have indicated that no water will be allocated for irrigation purposes until June. They emphasized that the available reserves should be prioritized strictly for drinking water requirements to ensure sufficient supply during the peak summer months.

Another senior official remarked that the ongoing dry spell is being utilized productively in certain areas. “Desilting operations have started in various small water bodies, including lakes in the western and delta districts. This is an optimal time to expedite and finalize these efforts before the next monsoon arrives,” the official noted.

With reservoir levels declining at an accelerated pace, officials caution that meticulous water management and conservation will be essential in the upcoming months.