Despite a cumulative deficit in the southwest monsoon that stands at 11 percent, water storage levels in India’s 150 largest reservoirs are below the 10-year average, Central Water Commission (CWC) data shows. As of September 6, the reservoir stood at 111.737 billion cubic meters (BCM), accounting for 62 percent of live storage, according to the CWC Live Storage Weekly Bulletin. In the same period a year ago, the level was 150.851 billion cubic meters, while the average over the last 10 years was 129.591 billion cubic meters. Retention in 150 pools is 74 percent of last year’s level and 86 percent of the last decade.
Bihar is worst off
Out of those 150 reservoirs, 27 reservoirs are below 50 percent of the normal level. Conservation is very deficient in the east-flowing rivers between Mahanad and Pennar, while it is deficient in the Subarnarekha, Brahmani and Baitarani, Cauvery, Mahi, Krishna and west-flowing rivers from Tad to Kanyakumari, the release said. State-wise, Bihar is 82 percent below the standard, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are 62 percent below the standard. Other states where storage is below normal are Kerala (48%), Tamil Nadu (55%), West Bengal (46%), Uttar Pradesh (42%), Odisha (32%) and Jharkhand (26%).
The situation is better in the north
In the North, not a single reservoir faces such a situation, although one in ten is below 50 percent. The release said the storage is better than the conventional west-flowing rivers of the Indus, Kutch and Saurashtra – including the Luni, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Godavari and the east-flowing rivers between Pennar and Kanyakumari. Levels are closer to normal in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Baraki and other rivers, Mahanad and western rivers from Tap to Tadrin.