The country's major reservoirs are currently at only 25 percent of their total storage capacity, with a total of 45.277 billion cubic meters of water in 150 reservoirs as reported by the Central Water Commission (CWC). This includes 20 hydro-electric projects with a combined storage capacity of 35.299 BCM. The storage levels of these reservoirs from May 10 to 16 were significantly lower compared to the same period last year, with the current storage at 78 percent of last year's levels.
There has been a notable decrease in storage levels in states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan. In the northern region, the total storage capacity of 10 reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan is 19.663 BCM, with the current storage at 5.618 BCM (29 percent of capacity), which is lower than the 37 percent recorded last year.
In the eastern region, which includes Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, and Bihar, there are 23 reservoirs with a total capacity of 20.430 BCM. Currently, these reservoirs hold 6.531 BCM (31.97 percent), showing an improvement from last year's storage levels of 28 percent.