Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday allocated Rs 340 crore to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply and support essential agricultural activities across the state.

The directive was issued following a comprehensive review meeting held at the Secretariat under his leadership.

The meeting assessed the Southwest monsoon rainfall, drinking water distribution in districts, and the status of agricultural crop cultivation, according to an official release.

During the meeting, the chief minister extensively reviewed several key issues, including water storage levels and reserves in dams, the extent of Southwest monsoon rainfall received so far in Tamil Nadu and the ground situation in districts with deficit rainfall and drinking water distribution across urban and rural areas.

In addition, Vijay also reviewed the ongoing agricultural works, the status of Kuruvai cultivation, and the distribution of the Kuruvai package to farmers, availability and stock of fodder for cattle and progress and implementation of drinking water supply and other essential infrastructure projects.

Data presented at the meeting revealed that the Southwest monsoon rainfall has been below normal from June to July 31, 2026.

Specifically, 20 districts, including Chennai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Kanchipuram, recorded a 19 to 59 per cent rainfall deficit.

Meanwhile, Chengalpattu and Ramanathapuram districts registered a severe deficit of over 60 per cent.

Stressing the urgent need to strengthen drinking water sources, the CM directed officials to undertake critical works, including desilting existing borewells, sinking new borewells, restoring and establishing additional infiltration wells at headworks, and constructing water diversion channels.

Further instructions were given to repair faulty power cables and transformers, fix valves and equipment to resolve pump issues caused by power outages, replace old motors and damaged pipes, and deploy water tankers in critical areas to ensure a seamless supply of essential drinking water to the public.

Reviewing the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, it was noted that 2,85,350 acres have been registered under the Kuruvai Package Scheme as of July 30, 2026.

Out of the allocated Rs 134 crore, Rs 16.93 crore has been released so far.

The department plans to complete the distribution of the Kuruvai package by August 15, 2026, a task the chief minister instructed officials to expedite. Additionally, due to the prevailing dry conditions, authorities were advised to maintain adequate fodder reserves for cattle at the block level.

To fast-track these initiatives, the chief minister ordered a total fund allocation of Rs 340 crore.

Out of this, Rs 330 crore will be routed through the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments to enhance water sources and facilitate tanker water supply.

The remaining Rs 10 crore has been allocated to the Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries, and Fishermen Welfare Department.

Senior IAS officers appointed as state monitoring officers have been instructed to visit their respective districts to oversee these mitigation efforts.

Furthermore, district Collectors must hold review meetings every Monday to assess the progress of drinking water distribution and other essential projects, taking immediate action to prevent any water scarcity, the release said.