Dindigul's local rain fails to provide enough inflow to district reservoirs

Localized rain in Dindigul city has not made up for weak rainfall over district dam catchments, The Hindu reports. A water resources official described insufficient inflow to three reservoirs in the Palani subdivision.

The city recorded 84.10 millimeters of rain on September 14, 64 millimeters on September 15 and 52.20 millimeters on September 28. Catchments near the Western Ghats remained dry, according to the report. Rain in a town does not necessarily replenish reservoirs farther away.

The official named Palar-Porundalar, Varathamanathi and Kuthiraiyaru. He said rain in Palani last week did not provide enough water to their catchments. Inflow to Palar-Porundalar depends on heavy rain in Poombarai and Vilpatti in the Kodaikanal hills, feeding the Palar and Porundalar rivers.

Palar-Porundalar is the main drinking-water source for the Palani Murugan Hill Temple. Sources cited by The Hindu said temple authorities had been advised to conserve water because storage was low.

Save Kodaganar Association President T. Ramasamy said Kodaganar near Vedasandur had no stored water. He linked the situation to both rainfall and the distribution of surplus water after Kamarajar at Athoor fills. He alleged that a barrier near Narasingapuram diverts flow toward Raja Vaikkal.

Ramasamy alleges that the small flow reaching Kodaganar consists of municipal and industrial wastewater. He connects it with the local municipality and cotton mills.

The Hindu connects uneven rainfall with the urban heat-island effect and the district's position in the Western Ghats' rain shadow. Farmers are looking to the northeast monsoon to replenish water in the catchments.