Reservoir Storage Drops and Borewells Run Dry Across Tambaram and Chromepet

Prolonged heat and scant rainfall have severely depleted groundwater levels, causing borewells across Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chromepet, and Guduvancheri to run dry as regional reservoir levels dropped sharply compared to last year.

The combined storage in the six primary water supply reservoirs—Red Hills, Poondi, Sholavaram, Kannankottai Thervaikandigai, Chembarambakkam, and the Veeranam tank in Cuddalore—stood at 5,473 million cubic feet (mcft) on Sunday. This marks a steep drop of 2,730 mcft from the 8,202 mcft recorded on the same date last year.

With the city's overall water demand standing at one thousand million cubic feet (TMC) per month, the existing reservoir reserves are sufficient to sustain supply for the next four months.

Hydrogeologist J Saravanan noted that heatwave conditions typically subside after 'agni nakshatram' in the final week of May, usually followed by several spells of rain in June and July. However, both months received very little rainfall this year. The extended heat significantly increased water consumption, which rapidly depleted groundwater tables in residential areas reliant on borewells.

Saravanan also pointed out that rainfall patterns have turned increasingly isolated and high-intensity, making it critical for residents and authorities to properly maintain rainwater harvesting structures to prevent surface runoff.

The impact on groundwater is already evident in southern suburbs. According to I Annadurai, proprietor of Thangam Bore Wells, borewells have completely dried up across Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chromepet, and Guduvancheri, leaving house owners with no choice but to drill new borewells to meet daily water needs.