Storage in 35% of India’s key reservoirs falls below 50% of capacity

The water level in India’s 155 major reservoirs declined to nearly half the capacity this week with the storage in 35 per cent of them less than 50 per cent, data from the Central Water Commission showed. According to CWC’s weekly bulletin, the level in the reservoirs was 52 per cent of the 180.852 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at  93.529 BCM. However, the storage is higher than last year and the average of the last 10 years (normal level).

The reservoirs’ level has mainly been dragged down by deficient rainfall after the south-west monsoon ended in October.  Between October and December 2024, at least 60 per cent of the country received deficient rainfall. From January 1 to February 27, 89 per cent of the country received deficient or no rainfall.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), data received from 718 districts show that 39 per cent received no rainfall and 52 per cent was deficient or largely deficient since January 1.

Above-normal temperatures, too, have resulted in the fall of the reservoirs’ level. Barring the western zone, the storage in the rest dropped below 55 per cent of the capacity with the situation worrisome in the northern region. In the 11 reservoirs of the northern region, the level dropped to 28 per cent or 5.582 BCM of the 19.836 BCM capacity. In Punjab, the storage was 12 per cent of the capacity, while it was 22 per cent and 51 per cent respectively in Himachal and Rajasthan. In the 25 reservoirs of the eastern region, the storage slipped to 51 per cent of the 20.798 BCM capacity at 10.684 BCM. In Bihar’s lone reservoir, the level was 19 per cent. Jharkhand’s dams were filled to 60 per cent, while the storage was above 50 per cent in West Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. In the western region’s 50 reservoirs, the level was 64 per cent or 24.031 BCM of the 37.357 BCM capacity.  The storage in Maharashtra and Gujarat were above 60 per cent, while in Goa it was 74 per cent. Of the 26 reservoirs in the central region, the storage was 25.811 BCM or 54 per cent of the 48.227 BCM capacity. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the dams were filled below 60 per cent, while in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, they were filled below 50 per cent.  

In the southern region, the level in the 43 reservoirs was 50 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 27.421 BCM. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu had storage of 66 per cent and 77 per cent respectively. In Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana, the level was 50 per cent and above of the capacity. 

The storage will likely decline further in view of projections of warm weather continuing in March.