Reservoir storage levels in India surpass last year’s figures: CWC

New Delhi: The Central Water Commission (CWC) has said the current water storage levels has recorded an increase of 126 per cent compared to last year’s corresponding period and 119 per cent of the 10-year average.

As of August 29, the total live storage in these reservoirs stands at 144.333 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is 80 per cent of their total capacity.

This marks an increase of 126 per cent compared to last year’s corresponding period and 119 per cent of the 10-year average, referred to as Normal storage.

The CWC’s report highlights a generally favourable water storage situation across the country, with the overall storage position being better than both last year’s and the Normal storage levels.

The 155 monitored reservoirs, which include 20 hydroelectric projects, have a combined capacity of 180.852 BCM, contributing to about 70.15 per cent of the nation’s total estimated live storage capacity.

Despite the positive national outlook, the Northern region, encompassing Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, has recorded a decline in storage levels. The region’s 11 monitored reservoirs currently hold 11.866 BCM, which is only 60 per cent of their capacity. This is a notable decrease from the 83 per cent recorded last year and the 79 per cent of normal storage.

The Eastern region, including Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland and Bihar, shows improvement. The region’s 25 reservoirs have a combined storage of 13.636 BCM, accounting for 66 per cent of their capacity. This represents a significant increase from last year’s 46 per cent and exceeds the normal storage of 61 per cent.

The CWC’s analysis indicates that several river basins, including the Ganga, Mahanadi, Narmada and Godavari, are reporting better-than-normal storage levels.