Apprehension of Worsening Water Crisis in South India

24-Apr-2026 12:24 PM

Hyderabad: The water crisis in South India is feared to deepen, as water stocks in the region's dams and reservoirs have dropped below 30 percent. Although some parts of states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka received rainfall recently, it proved insufficient to raise water levels in the reservoirs.

The total storage capacity of the 47 major dams and reservoirs in South India stands at 55.288 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM); however, the actual water stock currently available is less than 30 percent of this capacity. Last year, this figure was recorded at 32 percent.

Reservoirs in Telangana hold the lowest remaining stock—a mere 21 percent—while Karnataka holds 26 percent, Kerala 37.5 percent, Tamil Nadu 39 percent, and Andhra Pradesh's reservoirs currently hold 40 percent of their water stock.

If these states do not receive substantial pre-monsoon rainfall soon, water levels in the dams and reservoirs could drop even further.

This would pose an increased threat to water supply systems and lead to a severe shortage of water for crop irrigation. Furthermore, the monsoon itself is expected to be weak this year.