Karnataka belagavi 20 08 2025. Gokak falls on the Ghataprabha river in Belagavi district in spate, following heavy rains and increased discharge from Maharashtra , on Wednesday
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BADIGER PK
The storage in India’s 161 major reservoirs increased by over one percentage point this week with one in every three dams filled to capacity.
Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed that every two dams in three in Maharashtra were brimming, while overall 47 reservoirs were full. The level in another 49 was over 90 per cent, leaving the country with one of the best storage levels in recent years.
In its weekly bulletin on the storage position, CWC said the level in the 161 reservoirs was 91.37 per cent of the 182.496 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at 166.737 BCM. The storage was over 5 per cent higher than a year ago and over 18.5 per cent more than usual (last 10 years level).
450% excess in North-West
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country has received 60 per cent surplus post-monsoon rainfall, apart from 8 per cent excess precipitation during the South-West monsoon that ended on September 30. North-West India has received 450 per cent excess rain, while the southern peninsula is 38 per cent deficient.
Of the 47 reservoirs, 21 are in Maharashtra, five in Gujarat, four each in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, two each in Odisha and Telangana, apart from one each in Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh. Besides, the lone reservoirs in Goa, Tripura and Mizoram are also brimming.
The western region continued to have the highest storage in its 50 reservoirs at 97.90 per cent of the 37.357 BCM capacity at 36.351 BCM. Apart from Goa, the storage in Gujarat was 96.92 per cent and in Maharashtra, it was 98.79 per cent.
In the northern region, the 11 reservoirs were filled to 17.3 BCM or 87.21 per cent of the 19.836 BCM capacity. The level in Rajasthan was 97 per cent, while in Himachal, it was 85 per cent and in Punjab, 78.5 per cent.
Good augury for rabi
The storage in the 27 reservoirs of the eastern region improved this week to 85 per cent of the 21.759 BCM capacity at 18.484 BCM. Besides Mizoram and Tripura, the level in Odisha was 90 per cent and in West Bengal, it topped 58.5 per cent this week. Meghalaya’s lone reservoir was almost full, while Bihar’s was filled to 63 per cent.
The storage in the 28 reservoirs of the central region was 93 per cent or 45.243 BCM of the 48.588 BCM capacity. Madhya Pradesh’s reservoirs were filled to 97 per cent, while those in Uttarakhand over 95 per cent. In Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, the level was 89 per cent and 79 per cent, respectively.
The storage in the southern region increased for the second week in a row in the 46 dams. The level was 89 per cent at 49.138 BCM of the 54.939 BCM capacity. The level in Andhra Pradesh was 94 per cent and in Telangana, it was 92 per cent. In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the storage was 87 per cent each and in Kerala, it was 76 per cent.
The current level in the major reservoirs is seen as a good augury for the rabi crop. However, the rain will have to give way to conducive weather for rabi sowings to begin. According to IMD, the withdrawal of the South-West monsoon has been delayed, but the process will begin in a day or two.
Published on October 9, 2025