Millions in Tamil Nadu have turned to water tankers as taps in houses and hotels run dry, a consequence of acute water shortage caused by lakes drying up and groundwater depletion.
State Rural Development Minister SP Velumani said on Wednesday, 19 June, that the drought followed a 62 percent shortfall in monsoon rains in 2018 as compared to that in 2017.
People line up for water, cans in hand, in the state capital Chennai, which is India’s sixth-largest city with an estimated population of 1 crore.
A few satellite images recently put out by news agency Associated Press reveal the extent to which water bodies in Chennai have dried up.
The first set of photos is of Chembarambakkam Lake. The first image is from 15 June 2018 and the second is from 6 April 2019.
Chembarambakkam Lake on 15 June, 2018
(Photo: AP)
The second set of photos is of the Puzhal reservoir in Tamil Nadu’s capital city.
Puzhal reservoir on 15 June, 2018
(Photo: AP)
According to news agency IANS, other resorvoirs – Cholavaram (full capacity 1,081 mcft) and Red Hills (3,300 mcft) – which cater to Chennai's water needs are parched. The storage at Poondi reservoir is 24 mcft against its full capacity of 3,231 mcft, according to Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Chennai Metro).
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)