South India's reservoir levels dip to 10-year low

South India's reservoir levels dip to 10-year low
27 Apr 2024

The southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are facing a dire situation as water in reservoirs dips to a 10-year low.

A recent bulletin from the Central Water Commission (CWC) reveals that reservoir levels in this region have plummeted to a decade-low of 17% capacity.

This figure is significantly below the historical average.

Live storage in South India's reservoirs at 17% of capacity
Water levels

The CWC monitors 42 reservoirs in South India, which collectively have a live storage capacity of 53.334 billion cubic meters (BCM).

The current combined live storage in these reservoirs is just 8.865 BCM, representing only 17% of their total capacity.

This is a significant decrease compared to the storage levels recorded during the same period last year (29%) and the ten-year average for the corresponding period (23%).

Eastern regions report an encouraging increase in water storage levels
Positive trends

In contrast to the southern states, eastern regions such as Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal have reported an increase in water storage levels.

The 23 reservoirs monitored by the CWC in these regions currently hold 7.889 BCM of water, equating to 39% of their total capacity.

This marks an improvement in the storage levels from the same period last year (34%) and the ten-year average (34%).

Western, Northern, and Central regions report lower water storage levels
Declining levels

In the western region, states like Gujarat and Maharashtra reported storage levels of 11.771 BCM, which accounted for barely 31.7% of their total capacity across 49 monitored reservoirs.

This is significantly lower than last year's figures (38%) and the ten-year average (32.1%).

The northern and central regions are also witnessing a decline in water storage levels compared to historical averages.