Water levels in dams higher than last year

The 91 key reservoirs held 68.741 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water as of February 23, about 31% more than a year earlier and 3% higher than the 10-year average of 66.98 bcm.

These reservoirs have a combined capacity of 157.79 bcm.

According to the data released on Thursday by the Commission, water levels in reservoirs were less in southern India, particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh too the water levels were less than 20% of the normal storage.

Higher water levels in the reservoirs improve the prospects of kharif planting crops and generating electricity.

The basins of the Ganga, Mahi, Sabarmati, Godavari, Tapi, Mahanadi and the east-flowing rivers of southern India recorded better water levels than the previous year, it said.

Further, the Indus, rivers of Kutch, west flowing rivers of South and Krishna basins had deficient storage levels

The situation was “highly deficient” in the Cauvery & neighbouring eastern flowing rivers basin, said the data.

The country, which has a capacity to store 253.388 bcm of water, is augmenting the capacities. Currently, projects to store more than 150 bcm of water are under construction.