Water Levels in Reservoirs Continue to Decline

20-Mar-2026 09:01 PM

New Delhi: From January to mid-March of this year, a severe rainfall deficit was recorded across 70 percent of the country. Consequently, water levels in dams and reservoirs have been steadily declining, and they now stand at just half of their total storage capacity.

Currently, water stocks remain at 45.5 percent in the reservoirs of the Northern region, 50 percent in the Eastern region, 57 percent in the Central region, and approximately 62 percent in the Western region.

The Meteorological Department has forecast the possibility of rainfall in certain parts of the country between March 16 and April 4; this could potentially slow down the rate at which water levels are depleting in dams and reservoirs.

Reservoirs in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa currently hold water stocks of 60 percent or more, while dams in Chhattisgarh retain 71 percent, Madhya Pradesh 59 percent, Uttar Pradesh 51 percent, and the Dabra division 43 percent of their water stocks.

As for the Eastern region, water levels in dams and reservoirs—relative to their storage capacity—have dropped to 20 percent in Assam and 25 percent in West Bengal. In Odisha, the level stands at 52 percent. The situation is relatively better in Jharkhand, while it remains poor in Bihar.