Due to monsoon rains, the water level in the reservoirs of South India increased slightly.
14-Jun-2024 01:23 PM
New Delhi. For the first time in the last 36 weeks, the total water stock in 150 major dams and reservoirs of the country did not decline and it remained almost at the old level.
Due to good monsoon rains in South India, the water level in the reservoirs increased slightly. Due to severe heat in the mountainous regions of North India,
the melting of glaciers increased the supply of water in some parts, but the water level in other reservoirs decreased somewhat. Rains have also started in the northeastern states. Due to this, the water level of the dams is expected to rise.
Data from the Central Water Commission shows that the water level in the southern states improved by 1 percentage point, while in other areas it decreased by the same amount. Collectively,
the water stock in these 150 reservoirs remained below 30 percent of its total storage capacity. After the arrival of the El Nino weather cycle in June 2023,
the water level started decreasing rapidly due to less rain and increased heat in the country and the environment of decline remained for 35 consecutive weeks.
According to the data of the commission, out of 150 major reservoirs of the country, 139 have less than 50 percent of their storage capacity and 129 have less than 40 percent of their water reserves.
The total storage capacity of water in 150 reservoirs is 178.784 billion cubic meters (BCM) while the actual storage capacity is only 38,491 BCM or 22 percent. In the same period last year, 79 percent of the water was present there as compared to the storage capacity.
The water reserves in seven reservoirs of the country have reached zero level, out of which 6 reservoirs are present in South India.
The water level in other reservoirs had also come down to below 20 percent, but now the situation is gradually improving.
In South India, except Kerala, all other states are receiving good monsoon rains, due to which the water level in the reservoirs is expected to increase further.