As many as 3,691 irrigation tanks, accounting for around 26% of the total in Tamil Nadu, are full. This indicates the impact of the northeast monsoon, which has accounted for about 37 cm of rainfall in the State since October 1.
On the corresponding day last year, only 629 tanks were full.
Compared with 14,144 irrigation tanks in 2020, the present tally of such waterbodies is 14,138.
Of the tanks that are now having water to the brim, 555 are in Madurai district, followed by 333 in Tenkasi and 306 in Thanjavur.
The fourth and fifth slots go to Kanniyakumari and Tiruvannamalai with 287 and 258 tanks respectively.
There are 2,964 tanks whose storage is 76%-99% of their capacity; 2,498 tanks are in the range of 51% to 75%; and 2,505 tanks 26%-50%. While 2,066 tanks have the storage of 1% to 25%, the State still has 414 tanks that have no water.
Last year, 4,337 tanks had nil storage, while 5,520 tanks had water up to 25%. The storage of 1,526 tanks exceeded one-fourth of their capacity, but only up to one half, while it varied from 51% to 70% in 952 tanks. Besides, 1,180 tanks had storage ranging from 71% to 99%.
Kanniyakumari, which has the maximum number of irrigation tanks in the State with 2,040 tanks, still has 842 tanks whose storage is equivalent to 75% of their capacity or less. The number includes 11 tanks which have nil storage.
Another southern district, Sivaganga, which stands second in the number of irrigation tanks, with 1,460, has largely been insulated from the impact of the monsoon. Only 75 tanks are full, while the storage of 215 tanks is in the range of 76% to 99%. The district has 798 tanks whose storage is less than 50% of their capacity.
Madurai better placed
Madurai, which comes third in the tally of tanks, is better placed than the other two southern districts.
In addition to having the highest number of irrigation tanks with 100% storage, the district has 332 tanks whose storage fluctuates from 76% to 99%.
As many as 158 tanks have the storage of 51% to 75%, whereas only 295 tanks have storage of 50% or less.
The only other district, having a four-digit figure (1,131) of tanks, is Pudukottai where not a single tank has nil storage. In all, 184 tanks are full, whereas 263 tanks are in the slab of 76% to 99% and 252 tanks 51% to 75%.
