Low Reservoir Stocks Persist Despite South India Showers

05-Dec-2025 09:03 PM

Chennai. Although the northeast monsoon has been active in the peninsular South India since October, intermittent rainfall has occurred in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Kerala, among other states.

Furthermore, intermittent cyclonic storms have also caused rainfall. Recently, a cyclonic storm named Ditvaah caused heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and other nearby areas.

According to a report by the Central Water Commission (CWC), a total of 47 major dams and reservoirs in South India currently hold 46.408 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, representing 84 percent of their total storage capacity of 55.287 BCM. Despite good rainfall, water levels in dams are declining.

While the water level in Tamil Nadu's reservoirs has risen to 93 percent of their storage capacity, and is at a satisfactory level of 89 percent in Andhra Pradesh and 87 percent in Telangana, the water level in Kerala and Karnataka has dropped to around 80 percent.

The northeast monsoon is expected to remain active at least until the end of December, leading to continued rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry. Meanwhile, the La Nina weather cycle may also become active, keeping rainfall expected until February.