Groundwater, relied on by over a third of the city’s 13 million residents, is fast running out. City authorities say 6900 of the 13,900 borewells drilled in the city have run dry despite some being drilled to depths of 1500 feet.
Those reliant on groundwater, like Muthuvel, now have to depend on water tankers that pump from nearby villages.
Palur said El Nino, a natural phenomenon that affects weather patterns worldwide, along with the city receiving less rainfall in recent years, mean “recharge of groundwater levels did not happen as expected.” A new piped water supply from the Cauvery River about 100km from the city has also not been completed, adding to the crisis, he said.
