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India is facing a severe water crisis with significant depletion in reservoir storage ahead of summer. Data shared by the Central Water Commission shows that the water level has dropped to 28% this week – from 35% of the capacity during the same period last year. CWC found that reservoirs in southern India have been most affected and the total storage capacity available in these reservoirs has fallen by 16%.
The CWC, which monitors water storage in 150 reservoirs and issues weekly situation bulletins, found the southern region most affected.
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The Central Water Commission has highlighted the significant depletion in reservoir storage across the country, which has declined to 28 per cent of capacity from 35 per cent during the same period last year.
The CWC, which monitors water storage in 150 reservoirs and issues weekly situation bulletins, found the southern region most affected.
A total of 42 reservoirs are monitored by the commission in the southern region, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
According to the latest reservoir storage bulletin of CWC, the total storage available in these reservoirs is 8.353 BCM or 16 per cent of the total capacity of 53.334 billion cubic meters (BCM).
In the southern region, the storage during the same period till 2023 was 28 per cent of the total capacity of these reservoirs, while the average storage of the last ten years during the same period was 22 per cent.
The bulletin also revealed reservoir storage data across India for the week ending May 2, 2024.
According to the report, the total storage in the 150 monitored reservoirs was 50.432 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is just 28 per cent of their combined storage capacity.
This figure represents a substantial decline compared to the storage levels recorded during the same period last year, which is only 81 per cent of last year’s storage – 62.212 BCM – and well below the ten-year average, which is 96 per cent. Was. Average storage capacity.
The bulletin outlined significant depletion in reservoir storage across the country, highlighting potential implications for agriculture, hydroelectric energy production and overall water resources management.
Breaking down the data at the regional level, disparities in reservoir storage in different parts of the country become apparent.
In the northern region, which includes states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, the available storage in monitored reservoirs was recorded at 6.051 BCM, which is only 31 per cent of the total capacity.
This figure is below both last year’s storage level (37 percent) and the ten-year average (34 percent).
In contrast, in the Eastern region comprising states like Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha, live storage of 7.45 BCM is 36 per cent of the total capacity, which is higher than last year’s level (33 per cent) and the ten-year average (32 per cent). St).
Additionally, the bulletin highlighted specific reservoirs and river systems exhibiting varying storage conditions.
Storage levels in some areas such as the Subarnarekha, Brahmaputra and Narmada river basins are better than normal, while other areas such as the Krishna and Kaveri river basins are witnessing significant depletion in storage. The east flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar and the east flowing rivers between Pennar and Kanyakumari are facing acute water shortage.
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Published: May 03, 2024, 09:47 PM IST
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