Monsoon tracker update 19 June 2026

Udhagamandalam village is facing a drinking water crisis as water levels in the main reservoirs supplying water to Udhagamandalam are severely depleted due to lack of monsoon rains.

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

Lack of water in dams and reservoirs has already led to problems for local residents, with people from around Pudumund who draw water from Lake Marlimund complaining of poor water quality. R. Manju, a resident of the area, said residents noticed that the water flowing through their taps was brackish and had a foul smell. “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 taps,” she said.

The Udhagamandalam City Municipality said that more than 60 percent of the city’s water needs are supplied by the Parsons Valley Dam. Officials said that while they are actively taking steps to ensure sufficient water for the city’s residents, they expect the monsoon rains to increase the flow of water into the dam in the coming days. — Hindu Authority