The Numbers
Of Tamil Nadu's 14,141 water tanks, 4,208 are reported completely dry. A further 5,814 hold only 1% to 25% of their capacity, leaving a large share of the tank system with no usable buffer for the rest of the season.
The stress is uneven. Madurai accounts for 1,123 dry tanks out of 1,340. In the Cauvery delta, 720 of 764 tanks were at dead or nil storage as of 7 August, with total storage at 0.176 tmcft, about 2.62% of capacity.
On The Ground
Farmers in parts of the delta are deepening borewells as groundwater levels fall. Kuruvai stands already sown are under moisture stress, and the upcoming Samba season faces uncertainty over both surface supply and pumping costs.
Why The Tank System Matters
Tank storage does more than irrigate. It recharges shallow aquifers that feed drinking water wells, sustains livestock and holds down the cost of water for rural households. When tanks empty at this scale, the pressure moves quickly from fields to homes.
