Soaring mercury causes dip in water levels in 91 reservoirs
Ajith Athrady, New Delhi, Apr 14, 2016, DHNS:
It has depleted to 24% of the total storage capacity, says report
The deficit in monsoon in the past two years has resulted in depleted water levels in the country’s 91 major reservoirs.
The southern states have been the most hit, where storage has been at its lowest in ten years.
As per the Central Water Commission report, water storage across 91 major reservoirs in the country has dipped to 24% of their total storage capacity. Soaring mercury and depleted water storage have already affected drinking water, hydro-power generation as well as agriculture activities in most parts of the country.
37.92 billion cubic metre (BCM) of stock was available across these reservoirs for the week ending April 7 against the total capacity of 157.799 BCM. The current water storage is 31% less than the corresponding period last year.
The storage is also 23% less than the 10-year average of it for the same period.
Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have reported lower levels of water in major reservoirs compared to 2015.
The estimated water storage capacity of all reservoirs (small, medium and major ones) in the country is 253.88 BCM. Out of the total number of major reservoirs, 37 have hydropower benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.
Worst in southern states
The situation is the worst in southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) as the storage is just 8.8 BCM in 31 reservoirs against the 51.59 BCM of total storage capacity. The current storage is 16% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period last year was 25% of the live storage capacity, though for the past ten years, the water storage during this time was 27% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs.
Thus, storage during the current year is less than the corresponding period last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period, said an official in the Ministry of Water Resources.
The southern states have been the most hit, where storage has been at its lowest in ten years.
As per the Central Water Commission report, water storage across 91 major reservoirs in the country has dipped to 24% of their total storage capacity. Soaring mercury and depleted water storage have already affected drinking water, hydro-power generation as well as agriculture activities in most parts of the country.
37.92 billion cubic metre (BCM) of stock was available across these reservoirs for the week ending April 7 against the total capacity of 157.799 BCM. The current water storage is 31% less than the corresponding period last year.
The storage is also 23% less than the 10-year average of it for the same period.
Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have reported lower levels of water in major reservoirs compared to 2015.
The estimated water storage capacity of all reservoirs (small, medium and major ones) in the country is 253.88 BCM. Out of the total number of major reservoirs, 37 have hydropower benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.
Worst in southern states
The situation is the worst in southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) as the storage is just 8.8 BCM in 31 reservoirs against the 51.59 BCM of total storage capacity. The current storage is 16% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period last year was 25% of the live storage capacity, though for the past ten years, the water storage during this time was 27% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs.
Thus, storage during the current year is less than the corresponding period last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period, said an official in the Ministry of Water Resources.
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