Maharashta has 18 reservoirs at full capacity; Just 5 out of 143 major ones in India have 40% or below storage
The Central Water Commission monitors the water levels of 143 reservoirs in India. Photo: Wikimedia Commons At least 50 reservoirs in India are 100 per cent full, stated a bulletin by Central Water Commission (CWC) October 27, 2022. The CWC monitors the water levels of 143 reservoirs in the country.
Of these full reservoirs, 22 are in the two western states of Maharashtra (18) and Gujarat (4). The southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have 13.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier forecast northeast monsoon rains over southeast peninsular India from October 29.
“Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy falls and thunderstorm and lightning is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal October 29 and 30. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema and Kerala and Mahe are likely to see similar conditions October 30,” the forecast had said.
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In case of more rain, the inflow and outflow from the dams that are full or close to full must be closely monitored.
Meanwhile, the total live storage available in all 143 reservoirs is in a good position — 158.45 billion cubic meters. This is 89 per cent of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs.
There are 37 reservoirs that are 91-99 per cent full and 24 that are 81-90 per cent full. There are just five reservoirs with 40 per cent or below storage — one each in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and two in Uttar Pradesh.
Higher water levels will help provide irrigation to fields while preparing the land and during sowing operations as the Rabi sowing season has started.
States with better storage than last year for the corresponding period include Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tripura, Nagaland, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, as per the CWC bulletin.
Meanwhile, states having less storage than last year for the corresponding period were Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
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