Reservoir Reserves Decline to Below 90%

05-Dec-2025 11:11 AM

New Delhi. Due to no or negligible rainfall in most parts of the country and ongoing water withdrawals, water levels in dams and reservoirs have dropped below 90 percent. They have remained below 90 percent for the past few weeks.

According to the latest weekly data from the Central Water Commission, the country's 166 major dams and reservoirs currently hold 158.624 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, representing 86.41 percent of their total storage capacity of 183.565 BCM.

This stock is 7 percent higher than the same period last year and 27 percent higher than the 10-year average. Consequently, sufficient water will be available for sowing Rabi crops.

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that last week, rainfall was lacking in all parts of the country except the southern peninsula.

Overall, national rainfall was 21 percent below the normal average. While the country experienced a 23 percent surplus rainfall during the post-southwest monsoon period, from October 1 to December 3, 2025, the majority of this rainfall came from South India, where regular rainfall is occurring due to the active northeast monsoon.

According to the Meteorological Department, rainfall and temperature data are collected from 730 districts across the country, of which 17 percent recorded a rainfall deficit.

Of the five divisions of the country, only the western region's dams and reservoirs still have water reserves above 90 percent.

The total storage capacity of its 53 reservoirs is 38,094 BCM, while the reservoirs have 35,967 BCM, or 94 percent, of the water stock.

Goa's only reservoir is full to the brim, while Maharashtra's dams have 95 percent of their water reserves, and Gujarat's reservoirs have 94 percent of their water reserves.