Southern India Faces Water Scarcity As Reservoir Levels Plummet: Report

According to the recent bulletin released by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the southern region of India, comprising states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, is grappling with significantly reduced water storage levels.

As reported by NDTV, the bulletin highlights that reservoirs in this region are currently at only 17 per cent of their total capacity, posing challenges for irrigation, drinking water supply, and hydroelectric power generation.

The bulletin also reveals that among the 42 reservoirs monitored by the CWC in the southern region, the total live storage capacity is 53.334 BCM (billion cubic meters).

However, the current live storage available stands at just 8.865 BCM, a stark contrast to the levels during the same period last year (29 per cent) and the ten-year average (23 per cent).

In contrast, the eastern region, which includes states like Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal, has shown improvement in water storage levels.

The bulletin indicates that 23 monitored reservoirs in this region currently hold 39 per cent of their total capacity, compared to 34 per cent during the same period last year.

However, the situation is less promising in other regions.

The western region, comprising Gujarat and Maharashtra, reports storage levels of only 31.7 per cent of total capacity, lower than the previous year and the ten-year average.

Similar declines are observed in the northern and central regions.

The bulletin categorizes reservoir storage across various river basins, with some, like Brahmaputra, Narmada, and Tapi, marked as having better-than-normal storage levels, while others, like Cauvery and east-flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar, are classified as highly deficient.

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