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

The water level in India’s 155 major reservoirs declined further this week to 47 per cent of the capacity, with the level in over 30 per cent dropping below 40 per cent, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed. According to the CWC’s weekly data on the 155 major reservoirs, the storage slipped to 85.373 billion cubic metres (BCM) of the 180.852 BCM capacity. The level, however, was 19 per cent higher than a year ago and 16 per cent more than the normal level (average of the last 10 years).

Barring the central and western regions, the storage in rest of the regions was below 50 per cent. However, States such as Tamil Nadu, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh had better levels.  According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), data received from 712 districts showed that 65 per cent of the country received no rainfall since the beginning of March. At least 80 per cent of the country received deficient or no rainfall between January 1 and February 28, while over 60 per cent of the country received deficient post-monsoon rainfall during October-December.

The northern region had the lowest storage with the level in Punjab’s lone reservoir plunging to 20 per cent of the capacity, while in Himachal’s three dams, it was 21 per cent. Overall, the level in the region was 27 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity at 5.390 BCM. 

In the 25 reservoirs of the eastern region, the level was 46 per cent or 9.635 BCM of the 20.798 BCM capacity. Tripura’s lone dam was filled to 68 per cent, while Jharkhand’s six dams were filled to 57 per cent. The level in Bihar’s three dams was 19 per cent of the capacity.

The western region boasted the best storage at 58 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 21.717 BCM in its 50 reservoirs. Goa’s lone reservoir was filled to 73 per cent, while the level in Maharashtra and Gujarat was above 50 per cent. The level in the 26 reservoirs of the central region was 50 per cent of 24.264 BCM of the 48.227 BCM capacity. Madhya Pradesh’s 11 reservoirs were filled to 54 per cent, while the level in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh was below 50 per cent. In the southern region, the level in the 43 reservoirs was 47 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 24.36 BCM. Tamil Nadu dams were filled to 73 per cent of the capacity, and in Andhra Pradesh, they were filled to 63 per cent. In the rest of the region, the level was above 45 per cent. 

The level in the major reservoirs will likely decline in the coming days with the IMD predicting the current heat wave in Kutch and Saurashtra fanning to Vidarbha and the North-East.