Storage in India’s key reservoirs drops below 60% of capacity

Storage in India’s 166 major reservoirs dropped below 60 per cent of capacity this week, with the level in at least 28 per cent of dams dipping below 50 per cent.

The level has dropped as winter rain from January 1 to February 25 is 58 per cent deficient, with the precipitation in the eastern and north-eastern region 90 per cent deficient, and in the central region 77 per cent. 

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), storage dropped to 59 per cent or 108.338 billion cubic metres (BCM) of the 183.565 BCM capacity.

The CWC weekly bulletin on the storage in the major reservoirs said the level was 12 percentage points higher than last year and over 25 percentage points more than normal (last 10 years). The level in all five regions dropped below 70 per cent this week. Only 3 reservoirs are brimming compared with 4 last week. 

South level below 40%

The western region had the highest storage of 69.7 per cent or 26.557 BCM of the 38.094 BCM capacity in its 53 reservoirs. Goa’s lone reservoir was filled to 71 per cent, while Gujarat and Maharashtra dams were filled to 70 per cent and 69 per cent, respectively. 

Storage in the 47 reservoirs of the southern region slipped below 50 per cent of the 55.288 BCM at 27.606 BCM. It is lower than last year. The level in Karnataka and Telangana was below 50 per cent, while in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it was below 60 per cent. In Andhra, the dams were filled to 62 per cent. 

The level in the 28 reservoirs of the central region was 63 per cent or 30.803 BCM of the 48.588 BCM capacity. Chhattisgarh boasted the highest storage of 77 per cent, while in Madhya Pradesh it was 65 per cent. Dams in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were filled to 55 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively. 

More fall likely

Storage in the 27 reservoirs of the eastern region was 57 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 12.464 BCM. In Assam, the level was 21 per cent, while in Jharkhand and Odisha it was above 60 per cent. The level in West Bengal and Bihar was below 40 per cent.

The 11 reservoirs of the northern region were filled to 55 per cent of 10.908 BCM of the 19.836 BCM capacity. Rajasthan had a storage of 68 per cent, while Punjab and Himachal had 63 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively. 

According to data from the India Meteorological Department, 78 per cent of the 727 districts in the country received deficient or no rainfall since the beginning of the year. 

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal may bring some relief to the southern peninsula. But, the level will likely decline further in the coming weeks. 

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Published on February 26, 2026