Storage in India’s key reservoirs drops below 90%

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that rainfall in 16 per cent of the 730 districts were deficient
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VELANKANNI RAJ B

The storage in the major 161 Indian reservoirs dropped to lower than 90 per cent of the capacity, with rainfall under the influence of the North-East monsoon taking a break.

Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed that the level in western and central regions was over 90 per cent, but it was lower in the other three regions. 

CWC’s weekly bulletin on the storage status in the major reservoirs showed that the level was 88.68 per cent of the 182.479 billion cubic metres (BCM) at 161.820 BCM. The storage is 6.5 percentage higher than a year and 20 percentage points higher than normal (past 10 years).   

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that rainfall in 16 per cent of the 730 districts were deficient. The current storage situation is helping rabi sowing this year, with the overall crops’ acreage up 10 per cent as of November 14. Last week, the rain was 71 per cent deficient, though post-monsoon rain is 27 per cent higher than normal from October 1. 

27 dams full

Eight reservoirs in Maharashtra were brimming, besides four in Rajasthan, two each in Jharkhand, Gujarat and Telangana. Overall, 27 reservoirs were full, while the level in 53 was above 90 per cent. 

The western region continued to have the highest storage with its 50 reservoirs filled to 96 per cent of 37.357 BCM capacity at 35.817 BCM. Goa’s lone reservoir was brimming, while the level in Maharashtra and Gujarat was 97 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively.

The level in the 28 reservoirs of the central region was 91 per cent or 44.316 BCM of the 48.588 BCM capacity. The storage in Madhya Pradesh was 95 per cent, while it was 93 per cent in Uttarakhand. In Chhattisgarh, the level was 86 per cent and in Uttar Pradesh, it was 79 per cent.  

The 46 reservoirs in the southern region were filled to 86 per cent of the 54.939 BCM capacity at 47.311 BCM. The storage in Andhra and Telangana was over 90 per cent, while it was 89 per cent in Tamil Nadu, 82 per cent in Karnataka and 80 per cent in Kerala. 

Rain forecast

In the northern region, the level in 11 reservoirs was 85 per cent or 16.804 BCM of the 19.836 BCM capacity. The storage in Rajasthan was 97.5 per cent and in Punjab and Himachal, it was 85 and 79 per cent, respectively. 

The 27 storages in the eastern region were filled to 81 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 17.571 BCM. Meghalaya’s lone reservoir was full, while the level in Odisha and Tripura was over 85 per cent. Jharkhand and Mizoram reservoirs were filled over 70 per cent, while the storage in Bengal and Bihar was 52 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively.

With rains reviving this week and a low pressure set to form over the Bay of Bengal set to advance over the eastern coast, the storage will likely rise a tad in the coming weeks. 

Published on November 20, 2025