As the last of the waters evaporates from the Red Hills, Poondi, Sholavaram and Chembarambakkam reservoirs, Chennai is scrambling for every drop of precious blue gold thatit can get this summer.

The city is now looking at the cavernous quarries scattered around it, some of which hold vast quantities of water. Giant pipes have been dipped into one such at Sikkarayapuram, near Mangadu.

But the city’s giant thirst cannot be quenched by just one quarry, so the managers at Chennai Metrowater expanded the quarry network, bringing in newer sites.

Chennai’s big lakes normally brim with water after a spell of rainfall, but now the ground is dry and cracked in the sweltering heat. The vast lake beds have become home to livestock that feeds on the sparse vegetation.

In the city, people depend on water brought by tankers, a precious commodity priced at ₹8 a litre and never to be taken for granted.

If Cauvery water is released, as directed by the Water Management Authority, it might bring some respite to Chennai. If not, the city’s hopes will lie only in a timely monsoon.

Images and text by B. Jothi Ramalingam