Major Reservoirs Filled to Over 90% of Capacity

24-Oct-2025 12:03 PM

New Delhi. Latest data from the Central Water Commission shows that the country's 161 major dams and reservoirs have over 90 percent of their total storage capacity, and one in three reservoirs is full to the brim. This will ensure sufficient water for irrigation of Rabi crops. The northeast monsoon has become active in South India.

According to the Commission's weekly bulletin, two out of every three major reservoirs have over 90 percent of their water stock, but 13 reservoirs have seen water levels drop below 40 percent.

Meanwhile, Meteorological Department data shows that, since the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon, from October 1 to 22, the national average received approximately 13 percent less rainfall than the normal average, but South India recorded a 79 percent surplus rainfall. The rainy season is still continuing there.

According to a report by the Central Water Commission, the country's 161 major dams have a gross water storage capacity of 182.496 billion cubic meters (BCM), while a combined total of 165.576 BCM, or 90.74%, is available. This storage is 4% higher than last year's level and approximately 15 percentage points higher than the ten-year average.

Of these 161 major dams and reservoirs, 50 are fully filled, while another 49 have more than 90% of their water stock. Seventeen reservoirs in Maharashtra are fully filled, while five reservoirs each in Karnataka and Rajasthan, four each in Madhya Pradesh,

Jharkhand, and Gujarat, three in Tamil Nadu, and two in Telangana are fully filled. Furthermore, one reservoir each in Goa, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala are also filled. Heavy rains in South India are expected to further increase water levels.