106 reservoirs in India remain below 40% capacity, IMD warns of weak monsoon
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India's water situation remains a concern ahead of the southwest monsoon, with 106 of the country's 166 major reservoirs holding 40 per cent or less of their total storage capacity.
The concern comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast monsoon rainfall to be 10 per cent below normal this year, raising fears about water availability in regions already facing low reservoir levels. The monsoon has gained added importance due to warnings of El Niño conditions, which are often associated with weaker rainfall.
According to reservoir data, only two reservoirs currently have storage levels between 81 and 90 per cent of capacity, while another 22 reservoirs are filled between 41 and 50 per cent.
At the national level, reservoir storage stood at 56.3 billion cubic metres (BCM), slightly higher than last year and above the ten-year average for the same period.
Northern India reported the highest storage level at 38.79 per cent of total capacity, followed by the western region at 35.77 per cent and the central region at 35.40 per cent. Storage levels were lower in the eastern region at 24.46 per cent and the southern region at 22.53 per cent.
Compared with the ten-year average, Gujarat recorded the highest surplus, with storage levels 67.17 per cent above normal. Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh also reported significantly higher-than-normal storage.
West Bengal recorded the largest deficit, with reservoir levels 54.72 per cent below normal. Mizoram, Kerala, Assam, and Tamil Nadu also reported below-normal storage.
Fifteen reservoirs across nine states remain under stress, with storage levels below 50 per cent of their normal levels for this time of year. These include Chandan Dam in Bihar, Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagara in Karnataka, Periyar in Kerala, Bhima Ujjaini in Maharashtra, Vaigai in Tamil Nadu, Tehri in Uttarakhand, and Kangsabati in West Bengal.