Tamil Nadu reservoirs rise, easing drinking water shortage

The water level in the Vaigai Dam rose to 34 feet, up from a low of 20 feet, relieving immediate drinking‑water concerns for the five Tamil Nadu districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram. The increase followed releases from the Mullaperiyar catchment after moderate rainfall, although officials said storage is still insufficient for regular irrigation releases.

At the same time, Veeranam Lake’s storage grew to 375 million cubic feet after water was released from the Mettur Dam, boosting the city's supply. The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board reported that the lake received about 1,000 cusecs of inflow, but the Water Resources Department continues to seek 500 cusecs of Krishna River water from Andhra Pradesh, a flow that remains below target. Together, the improvements in both reservoirs have eased short‑term drinking‑water shortages, while longer‑term irrigation and inter‑state water‑sharing issues persist.