TN: Kodaikanal faces acute water crisis as dry spell leaves reservoirs empty
Dindigul, July 28
Kodaikanal, one of Tamil Nadu's most popular hill stations, is grappling with a severe drinking water crisis as prolonged dry weather and poor rainfall have drastically reduced water availability across the town.
Residents, businesses and the hospitality sector are struggling to cope with the worsening shortage, with municipal water supply now reaching many households only once every seven to eight days.
The hill town, home to nearly 46,000 people across 24 municipal wards, also witnesses a large floating population of tourists throughout the year. On weekdays, Kodaikanal receives around 5,000 to 6,000 visitors, while weekends and holidays see the number surge beyond 20,000.
The increased demand has placed additional pressure on already depleted water resources. Residents said they are forced to store water whenever the municipality releases supply, fearing that the next distribution may not arrive for another week. Several commercial establishments have begun purchasing private water tankers to meet their daily requirements, with each tanker costing around Rs 4,000, significantly increasing operating expenses.
The crisis has been attributed largely to the drying up of the Observatory Lake and Keel Gundaru, two of the town's principal water sources. Civic observers point out that despite the steady growth in Kodaikanal's population and tourism industry over the decades, no major new water reservoirs have been developed since Independence.
They also note that only a small proportion of homes and commercial buildings have underground water storage facilities, leaving many residents vulnerable during prolonged shortages.
Hotels and restaurants, which require large quantities of water every day, have also been affected. Representatives of the hospitality sector say the shortage is a consequence of inadequate rainfall rather than administrative failure, noting that the municipality has limited options when natural water sources run dry.
Municipal authorities acknowledge that Kodaikanal depends almost entirely on seasonal rainfall for its drinking water supply.
With storage levels falling sharply and Keel Gundaru drying up, pumping operations have been severely disrupted.
As an immediate relief measure, the municipality has dug a deep well near Fairy Falls to augment the water supply and has drawn up plans to drill four additional borewells near Gymkhana Road. Officials hope these measures will partially ease the crisis until the arrival of substantial monsoon rain replenishes the town's reservoirs.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Living in Chennai, I know water crisis too well. Kodaikanal's problem is compounded by unchecked tourism. 20,000 tourists on weekends dumping demand on a town with 46,000 residents? The municipality should cap daily visitors during dry months or charge a 'water fee' from hotels. Also, why no new reservoirs since Independence? That's 75 years of neglect. 🙄
I visited Kodaikanal last summer and saw the lake nearly dry. The hotel staff told us they fill buckets from a tanker every morning. It's heartbreaking for locals who depend on this. The municipality digging a well near Fairy Falls is a stopgap—they need a permanent solution like interlinking small streams or cloud seeding. Tamil Nadu's hills are too precious to be mismanaged.
Respectfully, the hospitality sector blaming rainfall alone is a cop-out. If you build luxury resorts drawing hundreds of litres per guest daily, you must invest in your own storage and recycling. Most hotels in Kodaikanal don't have STPs or rainwater harvesting. The municipality should mandate this for new licenses. Also, why is Keel Gundaru drying up? Check for encroachments or illegal pumping upstream.
I grew up near Kodaikanal and remember water being abundant in the 90s. Climate change is real—summers are longer and drier. But the civic body has been asleep. They talk about digging borewells, but that depletes groundwater further. Instead, they should revive traditional water bodies like 'ooranis' (ponds) and enforce rainwater harvesting in all buildings. Every new construction in Kodaikanal should have a 5,000-litre tank as mandatory. 🌧️
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