Storage in India’s key reservoirs over 90% for 4th week in a row

The storage in India’s 161 major reservoirs continued to be over 90 per cent for the fourth consecutive even as one in every three dams was full,, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed. 

The CWC’s weekly bulletin on the storage position in the major reservoirs showed that two of every storage continued to be filled over 90 per cent of the capacity. Of the 161 dams, 51 are brimming, while the level in 46 is over 90 per cent.

Of these 51, 17 are in Maharashtra, five each in Gujarat and Rajasthan, four each in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, three in Karnataka, two in Telangana and one each in Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, Kerala and Chhattisgarh. Besides, the lone reservoirs in Meghalaya and Goa were also full. 

44% ‘large excess’

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 15 States have received “large excess” post monsoon rainfall between October 1 and 29, six have received excess and 9 normal rainfall. Data received from 731 districts show that 44 per cent have received “large excess”, 16 per cent excess and 22 per cent normal.  

The CWC bulletin said the storage this week was 90.85 per cent of the 182.496 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at 165.782 BCM. The storage was over 4 percentage points higher than a year ago and about 16 percentage points more than usual (last 10 years level). 

Three of the five regions – western, central and southern- had a storage of over 90 per cent. 

The western region, which witnessed heavy rainfall over the past few months, had the best storage with the level in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat above 95 per cent. The storage in Maharashtra and Gujarat was 98 and 97 per cent, respectively. This week, the level in the 50 reservoirs was 97.45 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 36.404 BCM.   

In the central region, the 28 reservoirs were filled to 44.674 BCM or 91/95 per cent of the 48.588 BCM capacity. The level in Madhya Pradesh was 96 per cent and in Uttarakhand it was 95 per cent, while dams in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh were filled to 85 and 77 per cent, respectively. 

Gaining from recent showers

The 46 reservoirs in the southern region have benefitted from the recent depression and cyclone events. The storage this week was 90.70 per cent in the 46 reservoirs of the 54.939 BCM capacity at 49.831 BCM. Storage in Andhra (94%), Tamil Nadu (97.5%) and Telangana (91.6%) were above 90 per cent. The level in Karnataka was 89 per cent and in Kerala, it was 82 per cent. 

The storage in the 11 reservoirs of the northern region was 87 per cent or 17.205 BCM of the 19.836 BCM capacity. In Rajasthan, the level was 97.5 per cent, in  Himachal 82 per cent and in Punjab 87 per cent . 

The 27 storages in the eastern region were filled to 81 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 17.667 BCM. Apart from Meghalaya, the lone reservoirs in Mizoram and Tripura were filled over 90 per cent. The storage in Odisha was 86 per cent and in West Bengal, it dropped below 50 per cent.  

With the remnants of Cyclone Montha lashing other parts of the country, the reservoir levels could improve a tad.  

Published on October 30, 2025