91 major water reservoirs level below 15%

NEW DELHI: The country’s 91 major water reservoirs are at less than 15% of their combined capacity, the Central Water Commission said on Thursday. At 23.94 billion cubic metres, the available water in these reservoirs was 26.11 bcm below the available capacity a year ago and 10.17 bcm below the average of the last 10 years.

Seven reservoirs, most of them in Maharashtra, do not have water, the commission said, adding that the scenario was improving with the onset of monsoon. “The initial rain spells have not made a huge impact as the soil has retained moisture. Further rains in July will help in improving water levels in reservoirs,” said an official of the commission.

As per the commission, the most deficient area is the basin of river Tapi, which originates in Madhya Pradesh and flows to Maharashtra and Gujarat, followed by the Krishna basin, which caters to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The water level in the area drained by river Indus, which flows through Jammu and Kashmir, is also below average, it said. A similar situation exists in the Mahi, Mahanadi and Cauvery basins.

The situation is much better in the areas drained by the rivers Ganga, Narmada followed by Sabarmati, rivers of Kutch, Godavari, with water levels better than normal, the commission said.

The reservoirs at Nagarjuna Sagar, Bhima (Ujjani), Jayakwadi, Girna, Yeldari, Dudhganga and upper Tapi have negligible water. However, in Vanivilas Sagar dam, popularly known as Mari Kanive in Karnataka, the water level is at half its normal capacity, the commission said. The commission, which monitors water level in major reservoirs across the country, has issued an advisory for state governments on judicious use of water for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes.

Two years of consecutive poor rainfall have depleted the nation’s water reservoirs which provide irrigation and drinking water after the monsoon season.