Water level in reservoirs drops below normal during week ended July 2

Water levels in the 166-odd reservoirs across the country dipped below normal levels (the average of the past 10 years) for the first time this season during the week ended July 2, as the monsoon continued its weak run throughout June.

 

Though rains have picked up in the past few days and the reservoirs have once again started filling up, how much they eventually fill will depend on the extent of rainfall in July and August.

 

During the week ended July 2, water levels in the 166 reservoirs dropped to 47.72 BCM (billion cubic metres), down from 78.07 BCM during the corresponding period last year and lower than the 10-year average of 48.40 BCM.

 

Till last week, water levels in the 166 reservoirs were 6 per cent above normal (the 10-year average), but they dropped to 1 per cent below normal during the week ended July 2, 2026. Meanwhile, after a prolonged lull, the southwest monsoon has picked up pace, but cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 2, 2026, remained 33 per cent below normal.   

  

 

Monsoon rainfall drops to a third 

Rainfall across India since the advent of the southwest monsoon this year (between June 1 and July 2) has been around 33 per cent below the long period average despite a recent uptick. With El Niño established, most weather-watchers, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), expect “below-par” monsoon rainfall in the crucial month of July, as well.