With 86% of India rainfall deficient, storage in key reservoirs down further

 The level in India’s 155 major reservoirs declined for the 13th consecutive week on Thursday,3 Jan ‘25 with the situation turning grim in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed.

CWC’s weekly data on the major reservoirs showed that the storage dropped to 64 per cent of the 180.852 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at 114.914 BCM. The level is 21 percentage points higher than last year and 16 percentage points more than the last 10 year’s average (normal).However, the level in the northern and eastern regions was lower than last year and the normal storage. 

The storage has been dropping since November 7, 2024, mainly because many regions across the country have received deficient rainfall during the post-monsoon and winter periods.  Nearly 60 per cent of the country, mainly in key north-west and central parts of the country, received deficient rainfall during the post-monsoon period between October and December. In the current winter period, 85 per cent of the country has received either deficient or no rainfall. For example, 70 of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 50 of the 55 districts in Madhya Pradesh received deficient rainfall. All districts in Chhattisgarh (33), Maharashtra (36), West Bengal (23), Bihar (38), Gujarat (33), Telangana (33), Andhra Pradesh (26), and Odisha (30) received deficient rainfall as of January 30, data from IMD showed. 

Data received from 719 districts showed that 86 per cent received deficient or no rainfall. Though the IMD predicted above-normal rainfall in January, the country as a whole received 72 per cent deficient rainfall. The deficiency in Central India was as high as 96 per cent, while it was 80 per cent in North-West India. r. 

In the northern region’s 11 reservoirs, the level was 7.235 BCM against the normal storage of 9.528 BCM. This made up 36 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity. In Punjab’s lone reservoir, the level slipped to 17 per cent of capacity and in Himachal, it was 29 per cent, while in Rajasthan it was 63 per cent. 

Of the 25 dams in the eastern region, the level was 61 per cent of the 20.798 BCM capacity at 12.785 BCM.  Bihar’s lone dam was filled to 24 per cent, while reservoirs in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura were filled over 60 per cent. 

The western region was the better of the lot with its 50 dams filled to 76 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 28.386 BCM. Goa’s lone dam was filled to 89 per cent, while the level in Maharashtra and Gujarat was 76 and 75 per cent, respectively, of the capacity. 

The 26 reservoirs in the central region were filled to 66 per cent or 32.056 BCM of the 48.227 BCM capacity. Despite deficient rain, Madhya Pradesh’s 11 reservoirs were filled to 70 per cent, while the level in Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand was above 60 per cent. In Uttar Pradesh, the storage was 57 per cent of the capacity.  With all States boasting above 60 per cent storage in the southern region, its 43 reservoirs were filled to 63 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 34.452 BCM. Tamil Nadu, the major beneficiary of rainfall activity over the past two months, had its reservoir filled to 84 per cent of the capacity, while Andhra Pradesh’s dams were 75 per cent full. Telangana’s level was 70 per cent, Karnataka’s 64 per cent and Kerala 66 per cent of the capacity.

The IMD has not projected any major rainfall activity for the next weeks. This will result in further fall in the storage level.