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24 districts in TN are declared as drought affected, soon many to follow
Posted on: 21/Mar/2019 10:12:47 AM
Northeast monsoon that was expected to bring huge amount of rainfall in TN have failed is known. This would surely make the state of TN face severe water problem in this forthcoming summer season. The important piece of information that has emerged out now is the state government had declared as many as 24 districts in TN as drought affected plus 38 blocks in as many as 7 districts have also been declared as drought affected now.
During the March month, out of 12,524 village panchayats present in 385 blocks, 143 panchayat unions, 2883 village panchayats and 14333 habitations would be affected. It is said that this number would increase in the months of April and May. Point that is worth mentioning here that in April 222 panchayat unions, 4337 village panchayats and 20,212 habitations would be affected. In the month of May 252 panchayat unions, 5426 village panchayats and 25,993 habitations would be affected.
The point is reservoirs usually provide water to the city of Chennai and the shocking information is the storage levels in the reservoirs are also declining. As of 28th January 2019, against the full capacity of 12722 mcft, 2441 mcft was only available. In the same period during January 2018 the storage was 5353 mcft.
There are certain districts that were announced as drought affected and these are Chennai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Karur, Salem, Vellore, Trichy, Perambalur, Thiruvallur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar, Kancheepuram, Madurai, Dindigul, Erode, Pudukottai. Other districts that were declared as drought affected are Sivagangai, Tanjavorre, Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Cudalore and Ramanathapuram etc.
The important piece of information collected is the government has also declared 38 blocks of Tirunelveli (6), Tirrupur(9), Kanyakumari(6), Thoothukudi(6), Theni(5), Coimbatore(5) and Nilgris(1) district affected by hydrological drought. It was pointed out that during the northeast monsoon 2018, 38 blocks in the above 7 districts, the percentage deviation with reference to seasonal normal rainfall was ‘deficient’ and ‘large deficient’.
It is known that the surface water as well as groundwater resources are depleting at rapid rates and the blocks or districts is having drinking water issue. The point is these districts would be further affected by the hydrological drought in the summer. Seventeen out of total of 24 districts have recorded deficit rainfall ranging from -59 to -19 percent. It is important to mention that in the remaining 7 districts though the northeast monsoon rainfall was normal in 2018 but the annual rainfall was in deficit.
