Officials in India are celebrating a big win after a major reservoir in Tamil Nadu has undergone a massive rise in water level, thanks to significant rains in the region.
According to Hans India, Water Resources Department officials in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu said the Lower Bhavani Project Reservoir has risen sharply in recent weeks, thanks to intense rainfall in catchment areas.
According to WRD officials, the water level had risen to 70.38 feet as of May 25, after receiving 4,792 cubic feet of water per second that weekend.
All told, the reservoir held 11.11 billion cubic feet of water as of May 25. And officials don't see an end to the rise coming quite yet.
"We expect the inflow to increase further on Sunday and Monday, considering the heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts," said a senior WRD official, per Hans India.
While the reservoir isn't close to full yet — its full level is 105 feet — its sudden rise has to come as a relief to farmers who rely on it to help grow their crops. The region has been mired in a prolonged drought, severe enough that the WRD restricted water use from the reservoir to just what was needed to meet drinking requirements in the area.
However, the reservoir's meteoric rise after its dip is concerning, as well. As our planet's climate changes due to pollution from oil, natural gas, and other sources of dirty energy, our weather patterns become less and less predictable and more severe. That means periods of prolonged drought followed by severe storms, which can lead to flooding, landslides, and other issues.
The Lower Bhavani Project Reservoir isn't the only one to see its levels make a significant surge in recent months. California's reservoirs are hitting historic highs, thanks to high levels of rain and snowmelt, while Catalonia, Spain, has also seen similar rises after prolonged drought. Istanbul has seen a surge in its reservoirs' water levels as well, after a two-year decline.
Ultimately, the increase in usable, drinkable water is a win for Tamil Nadu and its people, who are hoping to use it to irrigate crops again soon.
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