Water reserves in more than 80 percent of the country's reservoirs are less than 50 percent
16-May-2025 01:38 PM
New Delhi. Due to lack of rainfall and rising temperatures, water levels in dams and reservoirs across India are steadily declining, which could pose serious challenges for the upcoming Kharif crop season.
The high temperatures in many regions have accelerated water evaporation, further depleting reserves. According to the latest weekly report from the Central Water Commission,
out of 161 major reservoirs in the country, more than 80 percent now have water levels below 50 percent of their capacity. In 70 percent of these reservoirs, the levels have dropped below 40 percent.
Despite the decline, overall water reserves are still higher than those recorded during the same period last year and the ten-year average.
The 161 monitored reservoirs have a combined total storage capacity of 182.444 billion cubic metres (BCM), but currently hold only 55.486 BCM, or 30.41 percent. Last year, the stock stood at 46.604 BCM, while the ten-year average is 48.133 BCM.
Water stocks have dropped below 30 percent of capacity in the reservoirs of the northern, eastern, and southern regions of the country.
In the central and western regions, reserves are also below 35 percent. In the northern region, the 11 reservoirs together hold only 5.710 BCM of water, which is 28.79 percent of the total capacity of 19.826 BCM. Notably,
Rajasthan’s reservoirs, despite the state’s drought-prone reputation, retain more than 50 percent of their capacity. In contrast, Punjab has 38.82 percent and Himachal Pradesh only 16.7 percent.
The situation is also severe in the eastern zone, where 27 reservoirs together hold 5.732 BCM, just 26.39 percent of the total 21.724 BCM capacity.
Water reserves are over 40 percent in Jharkhand, Assam, and Meghalaya, but have fallen below 20 percent in Bihar and Mizoram.
In the western region, 50 reservoirs collectively hold 12.344 BCM, or 33 percent of their 37.357 BCM total capacity. Maharashtra’s reservoirs are at 28 percent, Gujarat’s at 38 percent, and Goa’s at 40.5 percent.
The central zone’s 28 reservoirs hold 16.737 BCM of water, or 34.45 percent of their 48.588 BCM capacity.
Significant improvement in reservoir levels is expected only with the onset of the monsoon.