Delayed monsoon heightens fear of drinking water crisis in Ooty town

The Udhagamandalam Municipality is faced with a drinking water crisis, with water levels at major reservoirs supplying water to the region being severely depleted due to the lack of monsoon rains.

According to officials, the main reservoir supplying water to Udhagamandalam town, the Parsons Valley Dam, is only 38% full, with water levels currently at 19 feet out of its total storage capacity of 50 feet. Meanwhile, the situation is even worse in the other reservoirs — Marlimund, Tiger Hill, Gorishola, Doddabetta Upper and Lower, Kodappamund Upper and Lower, Old Ooty, and Glenrock — which are at a combined storage level of just 17% of their total capacity.

The lack of water in the dams and reservoirs has already led to problems for local residents, with people in and around Pudumund, who receive their water supply from Marlimund lake, complaining of poor water quality. R. Manju, a resident of the area, said that residents had noticed the water flowing through their taps was brackish and had a foul odour.

“As a result, people cannot use this water for cooking or drinking, and many of us are forced to walk long distances to collect water from public taps,” she said.

The Udhagamandalam Municipality said that more than 60% of the town’s water requirements are supplied by the Parsons Valley Dam. Officials said that while they were actively taking steps to ensure there was enough water available for the town’s residents, they expected the monsoon rains to increase inflows into the dam in the coming days.