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Informist, Thursday, Aug 1, 2024

--Water level in key reservoirs 91.496 bcm, 51% of total capacity 

--Current water level in reservoirs dn 6% YoY, up 7% from 10-yr avg 

MUMBAI – Water level in 150 key reservoirs of the country as of today was 91.496 bcm, 51% of the total live storage capacity of 178.784 bcm, according to data from the Central Water Commission. The current water storage is down 6% from a year ago, but 7% higher than the 10-year average. 

"The overall storage position is less than the corresponding period of last year in the country as a whole but is better than the normal (average for the last 10 years) storage during the corresponding period," the report said. 

Water level in reservoirs in the southern region is at 35.010 bcm, 66% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The percentage of total storage capacity is also the highest in the southern region. During the same period last year, the storage was 50% of the total capacity and 47% of the 10-year average water level in this region. 

The increase in water levels is due to above-normal rainfall in the southern region so far during the southwest monsoon. In July, the region received 37% above normal precipitation at 279.2 mm, and so far in the southwest monsoon it recorded 27% higher rains at 472.5 mm. 

Last year, the situation was bad for India and mainly for the southern region due to El Nino during the southwest monsoon, which led to depletion of water level in the reservoirs. During summer, seven reservoirs in the southern region had gone dry and almost all the reservoirs had a risk of having no water. However, the early onset of the southwest monsoon and above-normal rains in the region so far have helped in the speedy recovery of water levels.   

Two out of 42 reservoirs in the southern region have higher than the normal storage capacity, while water levels in 28 reservoirs are more than 50% and the water storage capacity of four reservoirs lies between 41% and 50%. However, there are eight reservoirs with 40% or below water storage capacity, the data showed.  

India received 9% above normal rainfall at 305.8 mm in July, mainly because of higher-than-usual precipitation in central and southern peninsular India, the India Meterological Department said today.  

In the central region, the water level in the reservoirs was 23.102 bcm, 48% of the live storage capacity compared with 55% a year ago. In the eastern region, the water level was 6.989 bcm, 34% of the live storage capacity against 31% a year ago.

In the western region, the water level in the reservoirs was 19.863 bcm, 53% of the live storage capacity, compared with 63% a year ago. In the northern region, the water level was 6.532 bcm, 33% of total live storage capacity, the lowest among other regions. During the same period last year, storage was 76%, the report showed.    

In July, the northwestern parts of India saw 14% below normal rain at 179.7 mm and 23% lower than normal in east and northeast India at 325.3 mm. Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, the director general of meteorology at IMD, said in a virtual conference today that rainfall was also poor in these regions due to the development of low pressure areas. 

In northern India, only one reservoir has water level from 51-60%, according to tthe report. Water level in rest of nine reservoirs is below 50%, the report showed. Of 23 reservoirs in eastern India, 12 reservoirs have water level below 50%. 

The water level in reservoirs in Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Nagaland, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu was higher in percentage terms compared with the same period last year. However, in Rajasthan, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh water level was down from last year.

Of the 150 reservoirs, 111 reported more than 80% of normal storage, while 39 reported 80% or lower of normal storage levels. Of the 39 reservoirs, 19 had storage up to only 50% of the normal level. Of the 20 hydroelectric projects, eight reservoirs have normal to less-than-normal water levels.  

Since Jun 1, India has received 469.2 mm rainfall, 3% above the normal of 454.7 mm for the period, according to IMD.  End

Reported by J. Navya Sruthi

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

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