Tamil Nadu has registered the biggest drop in reservoir levels in the Southern region, which is the worst-affected in water storage, according to a CMIE report quoting Central Water Commission’s data.
The reservoir level in Tamil Nadu is 60 per cent below normal as of the week ending November 22. The Commission, in its reservoir level data as of November 22, 2012, said out of the 84 reservoirs monitored by it across India, 53 had more than 80 per cent of normal storage, and 31 less than 80 per cent or below normal storage.
The worst affected was the southern region.
The four southern States recorded less-than-normal storage. Water storage was poor in all six reservoirs in Tamil Nadu. The poorest water storage was recorded at the Parambikulam reservoir. The dam is located in Kerala but is owned and operated by Tamil Nadu. The water level in the dam was 39 per cent of storage at full reservoir level (FRL). This was much lower than the water levels in the preceding year.
By November 22, 2011, water level at the Parambikulam dam was 95 per cent of storage at FRL. The fall in water levels at the same time this year was primarily because of the poor rainfall during the South-West monsoon in Tamil Nadu and Kerala during June-August 2012.
Water levels in the Parambikulam dam had picked up in September 2012 due to outflow from the neighbouring Sholayar dam which overflowed for most part of the month.
However, water levels receded in Parambikulam in October-November.
Reservoir levels in northern States were healthy with all States recording normal to above normal water storage. Punjab fared the best with water levels 54 per cent above normal, followed by Rajasthan with reservoir levels of 33 per cent above normal.