More than 1,500 irrigation tanks in Tamil Nadu have reached full capacity in two weeks, the period when a cyclone, Nivar, and a depression in the Bay of Bengal, Burevi, passed through the State.
As on Thursday, the total number of irrigation tanks that had reached full capacity was 4,034, as against 2,528 on November 28, according to data from the Public Works Department.
Likewise, as against four reservoirs two weeks ago, 16 reservoirs are now almost full, with storage ranging from 91% to 99%.
Seven reservoirs were filled to the brim, an addition of three in the last couple of weeks.
Cyclone’s impact
Rainfall received in several parts of the State under the influence of Burevi has made a difference to the storage of the tanks and the reservoirs. The State, which registered about 25 cm of rain during the period from October 1 to November 25, received 18 cm more in the next two weeks, taking the total quantum to about 43 cm. Nivar crossed the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast in the late hours of November 25 and the early hours of the next day.
Over 80% storage
Of the reservoirs having storage in excess of 80%, those located in the northern districts account for 15 of 31; the rest are in the western districts, 9, and the southern districts, 7.
As for the tanks, those situated in the northern districts of the State benefited more than in the rest.
In Chengalpattu, 495 out of a total of 564 tanks are full, whereas the number was 289 two weeks ago. While 208 tanks in Tiruvallur; 173 in Kancheepuram; 46 in Tiruvannamalai; 51 in Cuddalore; and 95 in Villupuram were full on November 28, the latest figures for the districts respectively were 363, 315, 211, 186 and 197.
Other beneficiaries
As for the other parts of the State, Thanjavur and Pudukottai were the significant beneficiaries, with 449 and 175 tanks reaching their full capacity.
Though Madurai and Kanniyakumari in the south do have a considerable number of tanks at full capacity, the present position marks no perceptible shift from what prevailed two weeks ago. At present, the two districts have 264 tanks and 305 tanks that are full.
