New Delhi: Even as India’s overall water storage in major reservoirs has improved significantly over last year, several states are struggling with critically low levels, according to the bulletin issued on Friday.
The country’s 161 major reservoirs currently hold 57.974 billion cubic meters (BCM) of live storage, accounting for 31.78% of their total capacity, according to the weekly bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
This marks an increase from the 49.290 BCM recorded during the same period last year and exceeds the ten-year average of 50.038 BCM.
States in the eastern and northern regions, including Bihar, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh, are grappling with alarmingly low reservoir levels, significantly less than previous years. In stark contrast, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the western region report more favorable statistics, exceeding past averages.
The CWC emphasizes the urgent need for targeted water management strategies, especially in vulnerable regions, to address the challenges posed by low rainfall, critical for supporting agriculture, drinking water supplies, and hydropower generation.
