Water Levels in Dams and Reservoirs Drop to 67 Percent

New Delhi. Despite the continued activity of the Northeast monsoon in South India, water stocks in dams and reservoirs across the country are declining due to a lack of rainfall in other regions. The latest data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) indicates that water levels in 178 major dams and reservoirs nationwide have fallen further over the current week. Only in one region—the central zone—do water levels in dams remain above 80 percent of capacity.

According to the Commission’s data, these 178 dams and reservoirs currently hold 123.228 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, representing 67 percent of their total storage capacity of 184.762 BCM. This level is 26.5 percentage points lower than that recorded during the same period last year and 18.5 percentage points below the 10-year average. While recent, favorable rainfall in South India has shown signs of a slight improvement in water levels, the current status remains a cause for concern.

In particular, water stocks in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have seen a significant decline. In these states, the water stored in dams and reservoirs is less than one-third of their total capacity, raising doubts about the availability of sufficient water for crop irrigation. Across all dams and reservoirs in South India, the current water stock stands at 23.659 BCM—just 42 percent of their total storage capacity of 55.879 BCM. Prospects for improvement in water levels now depend on further rainfall.