The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported a concerning trend of declining water reserves in India, with the total live storage in 150 major reservoirs dwindling to a mere 20% of their total live storage capacity. The total live storage currently available is a staggering 36.368 billion cubic meters (BCM), a significant decrease from the 46.369 billion BCM recorded during the same period last year. The total live storage capacity of these reservoirs is 178.784 BCM, which is about 69.35% of the estimated total live storage capacity of 257.812 BCM in the country.
The northern region, comprising Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, has a total live storage capacity of 19.663 BCM in 10 reservoirs. Currently, the storage level there is 5.239 BCM or 27% of the capacity, indicating a slight improvement compared to the same period last year. However, the eastern region, including Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, and Bihar, has a total live storage capacity of 20.430 BCM in 23 reservoirs. The current storage level is 3.643 BCM or 17.83% of the capacity, slightly less than the 17.84% recorded last year.
Reservoirs Dwindle to Just 20% Capacity
The western region, comprising Gujarat and Maharashtra, has 49 reservoirs with a total live storage capacity of 37.130 BCM. However, the current storage is 7.471 BCM, or 20.12% of the capacity, indicating a decline compared to last year. The central region, which includes Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, has a total live storage capacity of 48.227 BCM across 26 reservoirs. The current storage level is 11.693 BCM, or 24% of the capacity, which is a slight increase compared to last year.
On the other hand, the southern region, covering Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, has a total live storage capacity of 53.334 BCM in 42 reservoirs. The current storage is 8.322 BCM, or 16% of the capacity, down from 20% last year. The declining water reserves in India’s reservoirs are a cause for concern, and immediate steps need to be taken to address this issue and ensure a steady supply of water for the country’s growing population.
