Water crisis deepens in drought-hit Thalavadi hills

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Gowri Kuttai has completely dried up due to a lack of rain in Thalavadi hills in Erode district | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The prolonged dry spell in the hill region has triggered an acute drinking water crisis in the Thalavadi block, with borewells failing to yield water even at depths of 800 feet to 1,000 feet, forcing panchayats to depend on tanker supplies to meet the needs of residents.

Thalavadi block has a population of around 68,000 spread across 10 panchayats and 118 villages. With the groundwater table falling sharply, several borewells, agricultural wells, and waterbodies have dried up. Residents said the region had received little or no significant rainfall for more than a year.

Getting water for drinking and domestic needs has become increasingly difficult. With its own borewells having dried up, the panchayat is sourcing water from available wells in neighbouring villages and transporting it by tankers to habitations where water is unavailable.

An official at the Block Development Officer, Thalavadi, told The Hindu that larger villages require four to five tanker loads a day, while smaller habitations depend on two to three tanker loads daily. The situation is particularly severe in Bynapuram panchayat, where most water sources have reportedly dried up. Two newly drilled borewells, each around 800 feet deep, have failed to yield water, adding to the difficulties faced by the residents, the official added. Villagers have been forced to depend on agricultural wells for drinking water, but several of these too have started drying up.

The water scarcity has also severely affected agriculture. “Many farmers have not cultivated crops during the current season as there has been no rain and even the minimum quantity of water required for irrigation is unavailable. Farm wells have dried up and standing sugarcane crops have withered in several places”, said S. Manickam, a farmer. “Never before have we faced such a severe drought in recent years. There has been some rainfall in the plains, but the hill region has received hardly any rain for more than a year,” he pointed. In Thingalur, Hasanur and Germalam panchayats, low voltage and frequent burning of motor coils have further disrupted water supply. Residents said they were unable to operate motors regularly even when water was available in some sources.

Meanwhile, the feasibility of drawing water from the Moyar through lift irrigation is being studied. The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD Board) has inspected the area and conducted a survey in this regard. A proposal is expected to be submitted after the study.

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