Storage in key reservoirs down to 45% of capacity

The water level in India’s 155 major reservoirs declined further to 45 per cent of the capacity with the storage dropping below 50 per cent in half of them, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed 

The CWC’s weekly data showed that the level in the major reservoirs was 80.700 billion cubic metres (BCM) of the 180.852 BCM capacity. With the heat wave gripping many parts of the country, storage has seen a sharp decline over the past few weeks. However, the level is higher than last year and normal (last 10 years).

While storage in 53 reservoirs was below 40 per cent of the capacity, it was below 50 per cent in 30 others. Panchet Hill reservoir in Jharkhand and Sapuda reservoir in Odisha were the only full ones.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), data received from 713 districts showed that about 80 per cent received deficient or no rainfall between March 1 and 20. Over 60 per cent of the country received deficient rainfall during winter (January-February) and post-monsoon (October-December) periods.

Region-wise data

In the northern region, 8 of the 11 reservoirs are filled to less than 40 per cent. The level this week was 25 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity at 5.044 BCM. The storage in Himachal was 19 per cent, in Punjab, it was 21 per cent and in Rajasthan, it was 44 per cent. 

In the eastern region, the level in 12 of the 25 reservoirs was below 40 per cent with the storage in Bihar’s lone dam down to 18 per cent of the capacity. The storage in the region was 44 per cent or 9.083 BCM of the 20.798 BCM capacity. Jharkhand (54 per cent) and Tripura (65 per cent) were the only States to have storage above 50 per cent, while it was below 45 per cent in the rest. 

The level in the 50 reservoirs of the western region was 55 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 20.417 BCM. Dams in Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra were filled above 50 per cent.

Of the 26 reservoirs in the central region, the storage was 23.498 BCM or 49 per cent of the 48.227 BCM capacity. Barring Madhya Pradesh, where the level was 52 per cent, the dams were filled to less than 50 per cent in the rest.

The 43 reservoirs in the southern region were filled to 41 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 22.658 BCM. Barring Tamil Nadu (71 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (62 per cent), the storage in the rest of the States was below 50 per cent.

With the IMD forecasting rains in the coming days, the storage situation will likely improve.