Major Indian reservoir storage rises for 9th week in a row

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The water level in the 155 major reservoirs in the country continued to rise for the ninth week in a row with the rainfall during the current south-west monsoon increasing by 7 per cent over normal precipitation.

Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) said the major reservoirs were filled to 80 per cent of the 180.852 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at 144.333 BCM. The water level in all the five regions increased this week.

The States having below-normal storage decreased to four — three of them in the North — this week from six last week, the CWC said in its weekly bulletin on the live storage status of 155 reservoirs. 

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that barring the eastern and north-eastern regions (-12 per cent), the rest have received copious rainfall, particularly the southern peninsula and central region. (+17 per cent each). 

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), data from the 724 districts show that 25 per cent has received deficient rain against 30 last week.  The country has totally received 7 per cent excess rainfall compared to the normal. 

The storage is higher than last year as well as the average of the past decade (normal level).  Overall, the level in 21 of the reservoirs is below 50 per cent of capacity. The storage not only augurs well for the current kharif crops but also the oncoming rabi crops.

North below-normal

 All the three States in the northern region — Himachal Pradesh (-25 per cent), Punjab (-61 per cent) and Rajasthan (-7 per cent) — had below normal storage. The level in the 11 reservoirs in the region was 60 per cent of  total 19.836 BCM capacity at 11.866 BCM.

In the southern region, the level in the 43 reservoirs was 82 per cent of the capacity at 44.771 BCM. Though the level in Tamil Nadu dropped this week, it was still 91 per cent of the capacity. The reservoirs common to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are filled to capacity, while it was 43 per cent and 63 per cent in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, respectively.  The storage in Karnataka was 88 per cent and in Kerala 65 per cent.  

In the eastern region, Bihar (-7 per cent) had lower-than-normal storage. The level in 25 reservoirs of the region was 66 per cent of the  20.798 BCM. capacity at 13.636 BCM.

In the 50 reservoirs of the western region, the level was 90 per cent or 33.582 BCM of the 37.357 BCM capacity. 

The 26 reservoirs in the central region had a 84 per cent storage of 48.227 BCM capacity at 40.478 BCM.