The storage level in India’s major reservoirs increased by 1 percentage point this week with 50 of them being full. The storage in three States was below normal, though, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed.

According to CWC’s weekly storage bulletin on live storage of major reservoirs, the storage was 88 per cent of the 180.852 billion cubic metres (BCM) at 158.529 BCM capacity. It is higher than last year as well as normal (last 10 years). However, the level in 12 was below 50 per cent.

Among the States, the storage in Punjab (-65 per cent), Himachal (-20 per cent) and Nagaland (-11 per cent) was below normal. The storage in 60 reservoirs is above 80 per cent, auguring well for the rabi sowing season that is current on.

Excess monsoon

An 8 per cent above normal rainfall has helped improve the storage level with central and southern India gaining the most with 19 per cent and 14 per cent excess rainfall, respectively. Though the monsoon has begun to withdraw, more rain has been forecast, particularly in southern and eastern regions. This will likely boost the storage further. 

Though the north-western region received 4 per cent excess rainfall during the monsoon period, states such as Punjab and Himachal besides the north-east have received deficient rainfall. According to the CWC bulletin, the storage in the 11 reservoirs of the northern region was 68 per cent of 19.836 BCM capacity at 13.527 BCM. During the same time last year, the level was 85 per cent. 

Bihar gains the most

Of the 25 reservoirs of the eastern region, the storage was 86 per cent of the 20.798 BCM at 17.858 BCM, higher than last year. Rains last week helped improve the storage with Bihar gaining the most. Its storage increased from 34 per cent to 56 per cent of the capacity. 

The storage in the 50 reservoirs of the western region increased to 97 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 36.198 BCM. Twenty-eight of them were full and the level in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa was  95 per cent, 98 per cent and 100 per cent, respectively. 

Of the 26 reservoirs in the central region, the level was 91 per cent or 44.103 BCM of the 48.227 BCM capacity.  The level in Madhya Pradesh, a key agrarian State, was the highest at 97 per cent of the capacity, followed by Uttarakhand at 90 per cent. 

In the southern region’s 43 reservoirs, the storage was 86 per cent of the 54.634 BCM capacity at 46.843 BCM. Telangana’ storage was the highest at 99 per cent, followed by Karnataka at 92 per cent. Reservoirs common to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were filled at 93 per cent of the capacity. In the rest of the States in the region, the level was below 70 per cent.