Residents of Tambaram, a locality in Chennai, are grappling with a severe water crisis, relying on water lorries due to the drastic reduction of local lakes, which have shrunk by 44% over the years. The area requires 130 million litres per day (MLD) of drinking water, but the Tambaram Corporation can only supply about 75 MLD. Plans are in place to bridge this gap with 100 MLD from the Perur desalination plant expected to be operational by March 2027. However, the lack of infrastructure raises concerns about storage and distribution. The corporation has only 49 overhead tanks and no new reservoirs have been built in the past five years. Local lakes, such as Rajakilpakkam and Nanmangalam, are heavily polluted and encroached upon, with restoration projects stalled despite budgets being allocated. Residents express frustration over inadequate piped water supply, despite paying water taxes. The Tambaram Corporation has announced plans to construct additional overhead tanks and source water from the river Palar, but immediate action is required to address the ongoing crisis.