Reservoir Storage Levels Surpass 10-yr Average by 14pc

The live storage available in 150 major reservoirs across the country is 124.016 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is 69 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This marks a substantial increase from the corresponding period last year, when the storage was 111.85 BCM, according to the latest Reservoir Storage Bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC). The current storage is more than the ten-year average, which is called 'normal storage.' It stood at 108.79 BCM, according to the CWC report released on August 16, which showed that storage levels vary across different parts of the country.

In the northern region spread over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, the storage is at 51 per cent of the total capacity, a fall from last year's 88 per cent and below the normal storage level of 71 per cent. In the eastern region, comprising Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, and Bihar, there has been improvement, with storage at 53 per cent of capacity, up from 38 per cent last year and better than the normal level of 50 per cent.

The western region, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, also recorded a positive trend, with 72 per cent of total capacity being filled, compared to 68 per cent during the same period last year and 61 per cent of normal storage. Likewise, the central region, which covers Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, reported 72 per cent storage capacity, marking an improvement over last year's 69 per cent and the normal level of 62 per cent.

The southern region, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, accounted for the highest storage levels. The reservoirs in this region are filled to 79 per cent of their capacity, a significant rise from 53 per cent last year and well above the normal storage level of 60 per cent. The bulletin highlighted that the overall storage position in the country is better than both the corresponding period last year and the normal storage for this time of the year.

The data shows that efforts in managing water resources have resulted in improved storage across most regions, although some states, like Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, have reported lower storage levels compared to last year.