Indian reservoir storage level continues to be below last 10 years average

Despite the cumulative deficiency in the south-west monsoon remaining at 11 per cent, the water storage level in India’s 150 major reservoirs continues to be lower than the last 10 years average, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) show.    

According to CWC’s weekly bulletin on live storage as of September 6, the storage in the reservoirs was 111.737 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is 62 per cent of the live storage capacity. 

During the same period a year ago, the level was 150.851 BCM, while the last 10 years average was  129.591 BCM. The storage in 150 reservoirs is 74 per cent of last year’s level and 86 per cent of last ten years level. 

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Bihar fares worst

Among the 150, the storage in 27 reservoirs is less than 50 per cent of the normal level. The storage in Pennar and East flowing Rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar is highly deficient, while it is deficient in Subarnarekha, Brahmani and Baitarni, Cauvery, Mahi, Krishna and West Flowing Rivers from Tadri to Kanyakumari, the bulletin said. 

State-wise, the level in Bihar is 82 per cent lower than normal, while it is 62 per cent lower in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Other States where the storage is lower than normal are Kerala (48%), Tamil Nadu (55%), West Bengal (46%), Uttar Pradesh (42%) , Odisha (32%) and Jharkhand (26%).

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Overall, there are only five reservoirs – three of them in Telangana and two in western India – that are filled to capacity. Of the 42 reservoirs in the South, the storage in 17 of them is below 40 per cent. In the east, nine of the 23 reservoirs have a level lower than 40 per cent. A similar situation prevails in seven of the 49 reservoirs in the West and 7 of 26 reservoirs in central India. 

North situation better

In the north, no such reservoir faces such a situation, though one of the 10 has a level lower than 50 per cent. 

The bulletin said the storage is better than normal in Indus, West Flowing Rivers of Kutch and Saurashtra – including Luni-, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Godavari and East Flowing rivers between Pennar and Kanyakumari

The level is closer to normal in Ganga, Brahmaputra, Barak and others, Mahanadi and West flowing rivers from Tapi to Tadri.