By Bl Chennai Bureau
Copyright thehindubusinessline
The storage in India’s 161 key reservoirs almost touched 90 per cent of the capacity with nearly 20 per cent of the dams full and another 32 per cent filled over 90 per cent this week, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed.
CWC’s weekly report on the storage in the 161 major reservoirs showed that at 163.909 billion cubic metres (BCM), the level was almost 90 per cent of the 182.496 BCM capacity. The storage in three of the five regions in the country continued to be above 90 per cent for the second week in a row. The level was 3.5 per cent than a year ago and 19.25 per cent more than usual (last 10 years).
Twelve dams in Maharashtra, four dams each in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, three dams each in Rajasthan and Jharkhand, two dams in Gujarat, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the lone reservoirs in Mizoram and Goa were full. The reservoir situation augurs well for the agriculture sector, particularly for the rabi season.
8% surplus monsoon
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall this monsoon was 8 per cent surplus as of September 18. The North-West and Central regions have received 32 per cent and 11 per cent excess rains, respectively, while the East and North-Eastern region received 18 per cent deficient precipitation. In the South, it was 8 per cent surplus.
The level was the highest in the northern region, with the storage in Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal above 90 per cent. The storage in the 11 reservoirs of the region was 94.13 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity at 18.672 BCM.
The level in the western region’s 50 reservoirs was 94 per cent or 35.123 BCM of the 37.357 BCM capacity. The level in Gujarat was 90 per cent, and in Maharashtra, it was 97 per cent, besides the fully-filled Goan reservoir.
In the eastern region, the storage in the 27 reservoirs was up at 78.5 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 17.089 BCM. Tripura’s lone dam was almost full, while the level in Meghalaya was 95 per cent. The level in Odisha improved to 82 per cent. Among other States, the level in West Bengal was below 50 per cent for the second consecutive week.
Further rise likely
The level in the western region’s 50 reservoirs was 94 per cent or 35.123 BCM of the 37.357 BCM capacity. The level in Gujarat was 90 per cent, and in Maharashtra, it was 97 per cent, besides the fully-filled Goan reservoir.
In the central region, the 28 reservoirs were filled to 91 per cent of the 48.588 BCM capacity at 44.187 BCM. In Chhattisgarh, the dams were filled to 86 per cent, and in Madhya Pradesh, they were filled to 94 per cent. The level in Uttar Pradesh was 79 per cent, and in Uttarakhand, it was 92 per cent.
In the southern region, the level in the 45 reservoirs was 89 per cent of the 54.939 BCM capacity at 48.838 BCM. The level in Telangana was 82 per cent, and in Karnataka, it was 89.5 per cent. In Andhra Pradesh, the storage was 91 per cent, in Kerala, it was 76.5 per cent, and in Tamil Nadu, it was 94.5 per cent.
With rain still lashing many parts of the country despite the monsoon in a withdrawal phase, the reservoirs’ level will likely rise further.
Published on September 18, 2025
