The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): According to the latest bulletin from the Central Water Commission (CWC), South India is facing a significant water crisis, with reservoir levels plunging to just 17% of their capacity. This stark reduction in water storage poses serious challenges for irrigation, drinking water supplies, and hydroelectric power generation across the southern states.
In stark contrast, the Eastern region of India, which includes states like Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal, has shown notable improvement in water storage levels. Currently, the 23 monitored reservoirs in this region hold 7.889 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, accounting for 39% of their total capacity. This is an increase from 34% during the same period in 2023 and matches the ten-year average.
However, other regions have not fared as well. The Western region, encompassing Gujarat and Maharashtra, reports reservoir storage at 11.771 BCM, or 31.7% of capacity across 49 monitored reservoirs. This marks a decrease from the previous year’s 38% and is slightly below the ten-year average of 32.1%.
Both the Northern and Central regions of India also report declines in water storage levels compared to historical averages, underscoring a broader trend of water scarcity affecting large parts of the country.
The CWC’s bulletin categorizes reservoir storage across India’s various river basins into four classifications: “better than normal,” “close to normal,” “deficient,” and “highly deficient.” Notably, river basins such as the Brahmaputra, Narmada, and Tapi are experiencing better-than-normal storage levels. In contrast, basins like the Cauvery and the east-flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar are classified as highly deficient, highlighting the uneven distribution of water resources across the country.
