Reservoirs across TN have over 50% more storage than normal
The live storage in 18 states, including Tamil Nadu in the Southern region, is higher than the corresponding period last year.
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CHENNAI: The cumulative water storage level of the country’s 155 reservoirs stood at 71% as against the 257.812 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is estimated to have been created in the country.
The live storage in 18 states, including Tamil Nadu in the Southern region, is higher than the corresponding period last year.
According to the bulletin from the Central Water Commission (CWC), which monitors 155 reservoirs nationwide, the current storage level stands at 180.852 BCM, accounting to 71% of the total capacity of 257.812 BCM. The live storage is more than 24 BCM higher than the corresponding period last year, with 111 reservoirs holding more water than in the previous year.
The CWC monitors 43 reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The cumulative live storage in these reservoirs is 39.691 BCM, accounting for 73% of the capacity of 54.634 BCM. This represents a 35 percentage point increase over the same period last year, and is also 20 percentage point above the normal storage levels for the corresponding period (average storage in the last decade), according to the bulletin dated January 9.
Among these reservoirs, seven are filled to the brim with storage levels ranging between 91% and 99%. Additionally, 34 reservoirs have levels above 81%. In the southern region, reservoirs in Andhra and TN have 63% and 55% higher storage levels than normal, respectively.
However, some states have significantly lower water storage levels. Punjab (-46%), Himachal Pradesh (-39%), Bihar (-22%), Nagaland (-6%), Odisha (-5%), and Chhattisgarh (-1%) have seen a dip in storage compared to normal levels. On the other hand, Assam has reported a 139% increase in storage compared to its normal levels.
Water levels across India
Total capacity – 257.812 BCM (155 reservoirs)
Cumulative storage – 180.852 BCM (as on Jan 9)
Northern Region
11 reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan
Storage – 8.377 BCM against capacity of 19.836 BCM
Eastern Region
25 reservoirs in Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, WB, Tripura, Nagaland Bihar
Storage – 13.936 BCM against capacity 20.978 BCM
Western Region
50 reservoirs – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa
Storage level – 30.382 BCM against capacity 37.382 BCM
Central Region
26 reservoirs – UP, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
Water storage level - 35.535 BCM against capacity 48.227 BCM
Southern Region
43 reservoirs – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Storage – 39.691 BCM against capacity 54.634 BCM
(Source – Central Water Commission, GoI)
BCM – Billion Cubic Metres
