The water storage availability at India’s 91 major reservoirs has dipped to mere 37.92 billion cubic metres, and this might come as a shock to everyone, but this is just 24% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs.
According to a statement issued by Union Water Resources Ministry on April 7, the storage status of these reservoirs was even less than the corresponding period last year. 39.651 billion cubic metre (BCM) stock was available as on March 31, 2016 and now has dipped even low.
States like Himachal Pradesh, Telangana (two combined projects in both states), Punjab, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have reported lesser levels vis-à-vis last year.
Only two states — Andhra Pradesh and Tripura — have shown water storage lever better than last year for the same period, it said.
It is during the monsoon period of June to September that the reservoirs usually get their share of water; however, because of less rainfall in 2014 and 2015, they have seen heavy decline in water availability. This is also directly hampering the irrigation scene of India.
As a ray of hope, the India Meteorological Department has predicted abundant rainfall this year, because of which these reservoirs are supposed to get enough water during this monsoon.
(Feature Image Source: PTI)