India’s reservoir storage levels surpass 10-yr average by 14 pc: CWC

 

 

 

THE Central Water Commission (CWC)hasreported a significant improvement in the live storage levels of India’sreservoirsthisyear,with the current storage exceeding the ten-year average by 14 per cent. According to the latest Reservoir StorageBulletin,the live storage available in 150 major reservoirs across the countryis124.016billioncubic metres (BCM), which is 69 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This marks a substantial increase from the correspondingperiodlast year, whenthe storage was 111.85 BCM.

 

The current storage also exceeds the ten-year average, known as ‘normal storage’, which stood at 108.79 BCM, according to the CWC report released on August 16. Regionally, the storage levels vary across different parts ofthe country.In the northern region, which includes HimachalPradesh,Punjab,and Rajasthan, the storage is at 51 per cent of the total capacity, a decrease from last year’s 88 per cent andbelow thenormal storage level of 71 per cent. Conversely, the eastern region, comprising Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, and Bihar, has shown improvement, with storage at 53percentofcapacity,upfrom 38 per cent last year and better than the normal level of 50 per cent. The western region, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, also recorded a positive trend,with72percent of total capacity being filled, compared to 68 per cent during the same period last year and61per centofnormal storage.