Tamil Nadu faces severe drinking‑water shortage as reservoirs dry up

A prolonged failure of the southwest monsoon has deepened a drinking‑water crisis across Tamil Nadu. Officials report that of the state's 90 major dams, 59 are completely dry and another 16 retain only 25‑50 % of capacity. More than 3,400 irrigation tanks have run out of water, with another 6,000 nearing depletion.

Water supply in many districts has fallen to once every ten days, forcing residents to rely on private tankers and other temporary sources. The most affected districts include Virudhunagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappalli, Thuthukudi, Thanjavur, Namakkal, Perambalur, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dharmapuri, Kuttalam and Dindigul. Groundwater levels are also dropping sharply in Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram, key sources for Chennai.

The shortage has increased electricity consumption as pumps run longer, but overall supply improvements are limited. Neighboring southern states are also experiencing below‑average rainfall, compounding the region's water‑inflow challenges.