Storage in India’s key resevoirs drops to 71% of capacity

Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu, 21/01/2026: The Cauvery riverbed lies largely exposed at the Mukkombu dam (Upper Anaicut) in Tiruchi, after the flow of water was stopped, revealing sandbanks and sharply reduced water levels downstream. Photo: R Vengadesh / THE HINDU
| Photo Credit:
Vengadesh R

Storage in India’s 166 major reservoirs continued to decline with the level dropping to 71.23 per cent of the 183.565 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity. Barring the western region, the water level in the other four regions dropped below 80 per cent this week.

According to the Central Water Commission, the level this week dropped to 130.753 BCM, though the storage in 155 reservoirs was more than 80 per cent of normal. It was, however, higher by 7 percentage points than last year and 23.5 percentage points than normal (the last 10 years).

Deficient rainfall

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that data received from the 726 districts in the country showed 91 per cent of them received deficient or no rainfall since the beginning of the year. Against the normal 10.6 mm of rainfall, the country has received only 1.9 mm as of January 22.

The 53 reservoirs in the western region, which received a huge surplus rainfall during the south-west monsoon, were filled to 82.29 per cent of the 38.094 BCM capacity at 31.349 BCM. Goa’s lone reservoir level was 89 per cent, while in Maharashtra and Gujarat, storage was 83 per cent and 82 per cent, respectively. 

The level in 11 reservoirs of  the northern region was  12.812 BCM or 65 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity. The storage in Rajasthan was 82 per cent and in Punjab, 69 per cent. In Himachal, it was 57 per cent.

The storage in the 47 reservoirs of the southern region continued to be below last year’s level at 65 per cent of the 55.288 BCM capacity at 36.112 BCM. The level in Andhra was 80 per cent, while in Telangana, it was 59 per cent as also in Karnataka. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the storage was 66 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively.

IMD prediction

The 27 reservoirs in the eastern region were filled to 69 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 14.932 BCM. Meghalaya’s lone reservoir continued to be full, while the level in Odisha and Tripura was 73 per cent and in Jharkhand, 68 per cent.. It was below 50 per cent in Assam, Bihar and Mizoram and 50 per cent in West Bengal. 

The level in the central region’s 28 reservoirs was 73 per cent of the 48.588 BCM capacity at  35.548 BCM. The storage in Chhattisgarh was 83 per cent, while it was 74 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 66per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 68 per cent in Uttarakhand. 

The IMD had predicted rainfall over various parts of the country next week, but it will unlikely result in any rise in the storage. 

Published on January 22, 2026