Nation’s water reservoirs only one-fourths full

The stored water available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending 31 March 2016 was 39.651 BCM, which is 25 per cent of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This was 69 per cent of the storage in the corresponding period of last year and 75 per cent of storage of the average of last ten years.

According to a statement issued by the water resources ministry, the 39.651 billion cubic metre (BCM) stock available as on 31 March is 31 per cent less as compared to the corresponding period last year.

The water storage in these reservoirs is 25 per cent less than the average during the corresponding period over the last 10 years, the ministry said.

Only two states - Andhra Pradesh and Tripura - have shown water storage lever better than last year for the same period, it said.

Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and 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 against last year.

The estimated water storage capacity of all reservoirs in the country is 253.88 BCM, while that of these 91 reservoirs alone is 157.799 BCM, ie, 62 per cent of the total, the ministry said.