Tamil Nadu, which experienced two successive poor northeast monsoons, may have to face a severe water scarcity, if this year’s southwest monsoon is not bountiful.
The groundwater, which accounts for one-third of the quantity supplied through government-run agencies, is declining in all districts.
All observatory wells of the State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre have recorded a fall in the groundwater table, compared with the level two years ago. No district has shown any improvement.
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The groundwater table in 22 districts has fallen by more than two metres. In Salem, Coimbatore and Dindigul, it has declined by six-seven metres.
It is against this backdrop the southwest monsoon (June-September) this year becomes crucial for the State as it determines the availability of water for the Cauvery delta and several western districts.
Now, there is no daily supply in a majority of municipal corporations and municipalities.
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In the Attur municipality of Salem district or Kovilpatti of Tuticorin, water is supplied either once in 12 days or in 10 days. In the Vellore municipal corporation, it is once a week. In a water-deficit district like Pudukottai, there are reports of failure of attempts to dig borewells in rural areas. In Chennai, for about a year, the water is supplied on alternate days.
Yet, government officials, who are monitoring the water availability, say the situation is fairly under control. Going by supply norms, the position in terms of litres per capita per day (LPCD) is “good” (90 LPCD and above) and “comfortable” (40 and 89 LPCD) in most of the urban local bodies.
While Pallavaram, a Chennai suburb, and Usilampatti near Madurai come under the category of “poor,” Avadi, another Chennai suburb, is classified as “acute.” Both for urban and rural water supply, the government sanctioned Rs. 200 crore for taking up contingent works, well before the model code of conduct came into force on March 5 for the Lok Sabha elections. These works are in various of stages of execution, the officials say.
In Chennai, Metrowater, which has divided the city into two zones for water supply, has stepped up the quantity to 620 million litres a day. Around 3,600 lorry trips are made every day, says a source in Metrowater.
A senior official of the Public Works Department says the level of many reservoirs, the source of the drinking water supply in most of the districts, is better now than what it was a year ago.
Another government official says the supply in the cities and towns can be managed up to May and in some places, even until June. Thereafter, the southwest monsoon should come to the rescue of many parts of the State.
(With additional reporting by K. Lakshmi)