Despite rains, reservoir levels below normal

EVEN after over a month of the arrival of the southwest monsoon, the overall water storage position in major reservoirs across the country is less than that of the corresponding period of last year.

- JITENDRA CHOUBEY

The storage at 150 reservoirs is 39.72 billion cubic metre (BCM), which is below normal as that marks 22% of their total capacity, according to the latest bulletin of the Central Water Commission.

The normal storage level is calculated as the average of last 10 years' data. Last year the storage available in these reservoirs for the corresponding period was 50.42 BCM against normal of 44.06 BCM.

The storage levels in reservoirs of all regions are below last year's and normal levels. Some states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, have reported huge deficits in storage (-76%) while a few others like Uttarakhand have recorded surplus water (+48%) in their reservoirs, the CWC bulletin shows.

The lower water level would impact irrigation of crops in Cauvery basin where the Karnataka government has not released stipulated water and Tamil Nadu reservoirs have recorded -40% deficit in storage.