Water level in major reservoirs down to 30% of storage capacity
The water level in India’s 150 major reservoirs fell to 30% of their total storage capacity, with eastern and southern India seeing levels depleting more rapidly due to a severe heatwave.
While 26 reservoirs have 50% of normal water storage capacity, the level in reservoirs of eastern and southern regions has dropped to as low as 39% and 17%, respectively, as per the bulletin released by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Thursday.
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been facing significant shortfalls in water storage with Bengaluru in particular grappling with a severe water crises.
The depleting water level could be attributed to lower rainfall and the scorching summer caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, (which finally ended on 16 April as per the Australian Bureau of Meteorology), resulting in insufficient rainfall in India, and leading to water scarcity in some regions, besides droughts and prolonged dry periods across Asia.
As many as 18 states have witnessed rain deficiency or no rainfall since March. The country has received 15% below-normal rainfall since March, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to the CWC, the water level this week in these reservoirs was 53.358 billion cubic metres (BCM), 17.6% lower than the same period last year when it was 64.775 BCM and nearly 4% lower than the average of last 10 years (55.523 BCM).
The live storage available in 150 reservoirs as of Thursday was 82% of the storage a year ago and 96% of storage of average of the past 10 years.
The weather bureau last month warned that most regions of the country will witness above-normal temperature during April-June. This prediction, coupled with drying water reservoirs, has prompted agriculture economists to warn of an adverse impact on the current rabi crop, especially in southern regions, as well as summer crops in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Temperatures in eastern and southern India have been hovering at 42.2 -43.7 , according to the weather bureau. Severe heatwave is likely to prevail over East and South Peninsular India until Monday. However, northwest India is expected to get relief from with a likely fresh spell of rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms or lightning and gusty winds between Friday and Sunday.