A key reservoir in southern India is now at full capacity after a spell of badly needed heavy rainfall in the area.
As Social News XYZ reports, Veeranam Lake reached a level of 47.5 feet, its highest level in years. The lake is a key water source for the city of Chennai and irrigation for the region’s farmland. Veeranam is a man-made lake that was carved out of the land in the 10th century and takes its name from the title of a past ruler.
The rise was attributed to unseasonal rainfall in the Tamil Nadu area. According to the India Meteorological Department, May 2025 was the wettest on record since 1901.
The average rainfall across India was 126.7 mm (almost 5 inches), which is more than twice the historical average (61.4 mm, or 2.4 inches). The biggest departure from the norm was in central India, while the south received almost triple the usual level for that time of year.
While this has been a welcome development for the south, the northeast has suffered from flooding, which has resulted in 34 fatalities so far, according to Reuters.
For the Tamil Nadu region, the unseasonal rainfall will be a welcome boon for residents and farmers. Last year, the lake ran dry amid record-breaking heat waves, per Down to Earth. The additional water reserves will help sustain the area during the drier seasons, where temperatures can often top 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this relief is only temporary and symptomatic of the increased instances of unusual weather.
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While India has made significant strides in clean energy in recent years, it remains overly dependent on coal, the dirtiest of all energy sources, to meet its needs. The planet-heating pollution from sources like coal is contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events.
Ultimately, a lake filling back up is a heartening development and a clarion call to build on that good fortune with practical local action and raising awareness of climate issues.
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