Storage in major Indian reservoirs down to 73% of capacity this week
With no major rainfall activity over the past week, the level in India’s 155 major reservoirs declined further this week to 73 per of the capacity.
Though rainfall in December was the highest since 2001 in the country, it has helped improve reservoir levels only in the southern region. In other regions, the level has been declining over the past six weeks.
According to the India Meteorological Department, post-monsoon rainfall was near normal. It was 55 per cent deficient in November, though. The deficient rainfall in November has resulted in the area under crops remaining almost unchanged.
Excess rains in December will likely help the rabi crops but forecast for below-normal rain during January-March and the emergence of La Nina could be tricky for farmers.
Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed that the level this week was 132.293 billion cubic metres (BCM) against the 180.852 BCM capacity. The storage is 125 per cent of last year’s level and 119 per cent of normal (last 10 years storage).
Region-wise details
The storage dropped in all five regions of the country. Overall, 10 reservoirs are full, while the level in 20 is below 50 per cent. The situation in the northern region’s 11 reservoirs continued to cause concern with the level dropping to 44 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity at 8.775 BCM.
The level in Punjab’s lone reservoir was 22 per cent of the capacity, while in Himachal Pradesh it was 37 per cent. Rajasthan had a good storage of 73 per cent of the capacity.
The level in the 25 reservoirs in the eastern region was a tad higher than the same period a year ago at 68.6 per cent of the 20.798 BCM capacity at 14.267 BCM. Bihar’s lone reservoir was filled to 30 per cent of its capacity, while the level in Tripura was 84 per cent. The storage in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam was above 65 per cent.
The western region continued to have the highest storage with its 50 reservoirs filled to 84 per cent of the capacity. Of the 37.357 BCM capacity, the level was 31.314 BCM. Goa’s lone dam was filled to 98 per cent of capacity, while in Maharashtra and Gujarat the level was 87 and 81 per cent, respectively.
In the 26 reservoirs of the central region, the level was 75 per cent of the 48.227 BCM capacity at 36.245 BCM. All the States in the region had above 60 per cent storage. The level in Madhya Pradesh was 80 per cent of the capacity, while in Chhattisgarh it was 71 per cent.
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The storage in the 43 reservoirs of the southern region, which received “excessively excess” rains in December, was 76 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 41.692. It was almost double compared with the storage during the same period a year ago.
Tamil Nadu had the highest storage in the country with its reservoirs filled to 96 per cent, the level in Telangana was 91 per cent and in Andhra 83 per cent. Kerala’s dams were filled to 74 per cent of the capacity, while Karnataka reservoirs were filled to 77 per cent.
The IMD has forecast above normal rainfall in January, and it could help improve the storage level.