Water stock below 50% in more than half of the reservoirs

17-Jul-2026 11:57 AM

New Delhi. Water levels in the country's major dams and reservoirs are not rising as expected due to the weak Southwest Monsoon and erratic, irregular rainfall patterns nationwide. Data from the Central Water Commission reveals that the 166 major reservoirs across the country hold less than 35 percent of their total storage capacity. More than half of these reservoirs have water levels significantly below 50 percent of their capacity.

According to the Commission's report, these 166 reservoirs currently hold 63.249 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, representing 34.46 percent of their total storage capacity of 183.565 BCM. Only Gujarat's Shatrunjay reservoir is full, whereas Tamil Nadu's Adhivara Dam has remained empty for the second consecutive week.

A report by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicates that the rainfall deficit for the monsoon season, compared to the long-term average, has risen to 24 percent at the national level. As of July 15, 59 percent of the country's 738 districts had received either no rainfall or negligible precipitation, causing significant delays in Kharif crop sowing.

Although good rainfall in several states between July 1 and July 10 had reduced the deficit to 12 percent, a severe lack of rainfall was observed in most areas between July 11 and July 16. Even on July 16, the country received approximately 57 percent less rainfall than the normal average. Conditions are not yet fully conducive to accelerating the pace of Kharif crop sowing.