‘Drinking water supply can become precarious’ CHENNAI: Bracing itself for a drinking water crisis this summer, the Tamil Nadu government has declared 17 districts, including Chennai and neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, and 38 blocks in seven other districts as drought-hit.These districts recorded deficit rainfall ranging between 19% and 59% last year. The four reservoirs that supply drinking water to Chennai have a combined storage of only 17% and water supply has been erratic in several places across the city. Dharmapuri tops the list in water shortage, followed by Krishnagiri with 57% and Chennai 55%.Revenue and disaster management department had issued the order just ahead of poll notification on March 10. “The declaration of drought is a prerequisite for central and state governments announcing relief for the affected, and waiver of crop loan in cooperative banks,” revenue minister R B Udayakumar told TOI.The declaration reveals a sense of urgency on the part of ruling AIADMK, which is confronted with the challenges of poor supply of drinking water in rural and urban areas of the poll-bound state. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had sanctioned in January Rs 158 crore to Metrowater and Twad to tackle the summer water crisis.The rainfall received during southwest and northeast monsoons ensures recharging of groundwater and replenishing of sources of water supply schemes. They ensure sufficient supply until next year’s northeast monsoon. But the deficiency of rainfall forced the government to declare hydrological drought (shortage of water resources) in Karur, Salem, Vellore , Trichy, Perambalur, Tiruvallur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar , Kancheepuram, Madurai, Dindigul, Erode, Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts.While northeast rainfall was normal last year in seven districts, including Thanjavur, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Ramanthapuram, annual rainfall deficiency was reported in 38 blocks. “As a result, the surface water and groundwater resources are fast depleting and the districts/ blocks are already experiencing drinking water problems. They would be affected further due to drought in the ensuing summer,” the commissioner of revenue administration said in a communication to the government. The block-wise assessment was done based on the seasonal rainfall of more than 10 to 15 years.The rural development has indicated that 14,333 habitations will be affected in March this year, 20,212 in April and another 25,993 in May. “We have declared hydrological drought in districts where drinking water can become precarious. Issues may arise depending on whether we receive rainfall in the coming monsoon. We have summer rains as well. So the situation has to be watched very closely by the districts concerned,” said a senior revenue official.

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