Tamil Nadu: Water crisis looms as reservoir levels plunge

Tamil Nadu faces a looming water crisis as the combined storage of its 15 major irrigation reservoirs has fallen to about one‑third of total capacity, officials said on Tuesday. The state’s largest dam, <b>Mettur</b>, holds only about <b>23 thousand million cubic feet</b>, insufficient to sustain water releases to Cauvery delta farms beyond a week, compared with 92% storage at the same time last year. Authorities warn that without adequate northeast monsoon rains, rice output could drop sharply, and they are monitoring the situation closely, urging farmers to conserve water.