Water Reservoirs

Water budgeting: India needs better planning as scarcity risks rise

Erratic monsoon rains, longer dry periods, and more frequent floods mean India can no longer rely on historical rainfall patterns for planning

India must promote efficient products, services in water resources: Expert

Having put its renewable energy programme in progress mode, India needs to now promote the use of efficient products and services for its water resources, given the country is critically vulnerable to climate change, an environment expert said at a conference held in Singapore. I think it is important that India's Bureau of Water Use Efficiencysimilar to BEEensures that its activities, whether developing standards or regulatory direction, lead to the promotion of efficient use of water in irrigation, municipal and industrial sectors, said Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is a renewable energy-guiding group in India. Ghosh said while work was being done on managing resources, water conservation needs to be scaled up across the country. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of Ecosperity Week 2025 held from May 5-8 here, Ghosh noted improvements in the expansion of water infrastructure in th

Punjab seeks HC review of order allowing extra water release to Haryana

The Punjab government on Monday moved an application in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a review or modification of its May 6 order pertaining to Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan's May 2 decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water to Haryana. The high court had on May 6 directed Punjab to abide by the decision of the meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of the Union home secretary. Mohan had on May 2 chaired a high-level meeting, which advised to carry out the Bhakra Beas Management Board's decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from Bhakra dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet the state's urgent water requirements. In its petition, Punjab objected that the Union home secretary was not the appropriate authority to take a call on releasing water. "Further the State of Haryana had stated during the proceedings before this court that the meeting dated 2.05.2025 was called by the Union Home Secretary as it pertained to the law and order situatio

India's reservoir levels rise overall but eastern, northern states lag

Even as India's overall water storage in major reservoirs has improved significantly over last year, several states are struggling with critically low levels, according to the bulletin issued on Friday. The country's 161 major reservoirs currently hold 57.974 billion cubic meters (BCM) of live storage, accounting for 31.78% of their total capacity, according to the weekly bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC). This marks an increase from the 49.290 BCM recorded during the same period last year and exceeds the ten-year average of 50.038 BCM. Nationally, the current storage is 117.6% of last year's levels and 115.9% of the normal, a sign of overall improvement. However, this aggregated progress masks stark regional imbalances. The eastern region, covering states like Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, is facing a sharp water shortage. The region's reservoirs are filled to just 27.87% of their capacity, well below last year's 35.97% and the normal ...

Apple achieves water replenishment goal for India operations in 2023

iPhone maker Apple has met its replenishment target for freshwater withdrawals for corporate operations in India in 2023, the company said in its environmental progress report released on Wednesday. Globally, Apple has set a goal to replenish 100 per cent of corporate freshwater withdrawals in high-stress locations by 2030. As part of the project, the company said that it provided 40 million gallons of drinking water in partnership with the Uptime Catalyst Facility in India over the past two years. "This work helped us meet our 100 per cent water replenishment target for our corporate operations in India in 2023," the report said. Apple said that it continued partnership with Frank Water in India last year, which works alongside local partners in India to support access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. "In 2024, the grant continued to support the expansion of the organization's programming from focusing on Bengaluru to include Chennai. This involved implementing the Decisio

Reservoir storage shows improvement, but regional disparities persist: CWC

The total live storage capacity of the 155 reservoirs monitored by the CWC stands at 180.852 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is approximately 70.15 per cent of the total estimated live storage capacity in the country, according to the latest bulletin of the CWC. While the overall storage has improved compared to the same period last year, significant regional disparities highlight the challenges faced by certain states. The total live storage capacity of the 155 reservoirs monitored by the Central Water Commission (CWC) stands at 180.852 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is approximately 70.15 per cent of the total estimated live storage capacity in the country. As of Thursday, the live storage available in these reservoirs is 93.529 BCM, representing 52 per cent of their total capacity. This is a notable improvement compared to the same period last year when the live storage was 78.633 BCM and the normal storage (average of the last ten years) was 81.497 BCM. The current storag

Country's water reservoir storage levels surpass last year's figures: CWC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported an improvement in India's reservoir storage levels, with the total live storage in 155 monitored reservoirs reaching 98.974 billion cubic meters (BCM). This represents 55 per cent of their total live storage capacity, marking a 120 per cent increase compared to the same period last year and 116 per cent of the average storage over the past ten years, according to the weekly bulletin released by the CWC. In the northern region that comprises Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, the reservoirs are holding 30 per cent of their total capacity, lower than last year's 40 per cent, indicating a deficit. While in the eastern region (Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, Bihar), the storage level stood at 54 per cent, slightly below last year's 55 per cent and the normal 57 per cent. In the western region (Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa), the storage has surged to 67 per cent of the capacity, significantly higher than last

Reservoir water levels steady, except in North India, shows data

Despite the delayed monsoon, residual soil moisture is expected to be good

Draft bill on water resource management authority circulated among states

A draft model bill proposing setting up of an Integrated Water Resources Management Authority which will be responsible for developing water security plans from villages to cities, groundwater management and floodplain management has been circulated to all states, a senior official said on Tuesday. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Department of Water Resources said to achieve water security as part of the vision for Viksit Bharat, the government has proposed the Integrated Water Resources Management Authority (IWRM) at the state level, which will coordinate and integrate efforts of multiple water-related departments and agencies. "A draft model bill has been circulated to all the states. This state IWRM authority, under the overall supervision of an IWRM council headed by chief minister, has been vested with various regulatory powers to set the direction of water sector development," he said at the inaugural session of the 10th Water Innovation Summit organised by the ...

India's reservoir levels rise from last year, northern region lags: CWC

India's water reservoirs are experiencing a significant boost in live storage with 155 of them across the country currently at 88 per cent of their total capacity, a 14 per cent rise from the normal storage. This is a marked improvement compared to last year's storage levels for the same period, which stood at 134.056 BCM, as well as the normal 10-year average storage of 139.114 BCM. The bulletin further said that 86 reservoirs across the country are reporting higher storage levels than last year and 123 reservoirs were exceeding their normal capacity. The 2024 figures reflect an 18 per cent increase over last year's levels and a 14 per cent rise compared to the normal storage. While the overall storage levels across the country are higher, regional variations exist. The Western region, comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa, has witnessed the most robust storage figures, with 97 per cent of its total live storage capacity already filled. This is a substantial improvement compa

Current reservoir water storage 126% higher than last year's figures: CWC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has said the current water storage levels has recorded an increase of 126 per cent compared to last year's corresponding period and 119 per cent of the 10-year average. As of August 29, the total live storage in these reservoirs stands at 144.333 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is 80 per cent of their total capacity. This marks an increase of 126 per cent compared to last year's corresponding period and 119 per cent of the 10-year average, referred to as Normal storage. The CWC's report highlights a generally favourable water storage situation across the country, with the overall storage position being better than both last year's and the Normal storage levels. The 155 monitored reservoirs, which include 20 hydroelectric projects, have a combined capacity of 180.852 BCM, contributing to about 70.15 per cent of the nation's total estimated live storage capacity. Despite the positive national outlook, the Northern region, encompassing Himachal ..

Current reservoir storage levels surpass 10-yr average by 14%: CWC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported a significant improvement in the live storage levels of India's reservoirs this year, with the current storage exceeding the ten-year average by 14 per cent. According to the latest Reservoir Storage Bulletin, the live storage available in 150 major reservoirs across the country is 124.016 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is 69 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This marks a substantial increase from the corresponding period last year, when the storage was 111.85 BCM. The current storage also exceeds the ten-year average, known as 'normal storage', which stood at 108.79 BCM. Regionally, the storage levels vary across different parts of the country. In the northern region, which includes Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, the storage is at 51 per cent of the total capacity, a decrease from last year's 88 per cent and below the normal storage level of 71 per cent. Conversely, the eastern region, ...

North India's dams hold only 51% of capacity amid below-normal rainfall

Reservoirs in Punjab, Himachal, and Rajasthan are dangerously low on water levels, threatening irrigation and power generation as the monsoon season ends

Despite heavy rain, avg water level in reservoirs remains less than last yr

Despite heavy rain across the country, the average water level in India's 150 main reservoirs remains less than last year but more than the last decade's level, according to official data. According to the Central Water Commission, significant variations in water storage levels across different regions of the country reflect both positive and concerning trends. The total live storage capacity of the 150 monitored reservoirs is 178.784 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is about 69.35 per cent of the estimated 257.812 BCM created nationwide. According to a CWC report, the live storage available in these reservoirs stands at 91.496 BCM, or 51 per cent of their total capacity. This is 94 per cent of the storage levels recorded during the same period last year and 107 per cent of the normal storage based on the last decade's average. In comparison to the previous week, as per the July 25 bulletin, the live storage available in these reservoirs was 69.27 BCM, which was 39 per cent of the

Water level in India's main reservoirs rises to 26% of total capacity: CWC

Amid heavy rains in different parts of the country, water levels in 150 main reservoirs of the country have increased to 26 per cent of the total live storage capacity, still lower than in the same period last year, according to official data. Last week, the water level was at 22 per cent. The current live storage stands at 46.311 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is 26 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This is a significant drop compared to the same period last year, when the live storage was 58.864 BCM, according to Central Water Commission's (CWC's) Friday bulletin. The reservoirs being monitored have a combined total live storage capacity of 178.784 BCM, representing 69.35 per cent of the overall estimated live storage capacity in the country. Despite the extensive storage capacity, the current figures reveal that the available storage is only 79 per cent of last year's levels and 90 per cent of the normal storage, which is calculated based on the

Rains replenish reservoirs, water levels rise for first time since Sep '23

Amid heavy rains across India, the water level of the country's main reservoirs has risen for the first time since September last year, the Central Water Commission (CWC) said. Despite the marginal rise of 2 per cent from the previous week, this marks a departure from the consistent week-on-week decline reported since the bulletin issued on September 29, 2023, when the storage capacity stood at 73 per cent, according to the analysis of the data. This improvement comes amid widespread rainfall across the country. The CWC, which monitors the live storage status of 150 reservoirs across India, released its latest bulletin detailing these developments on July 4. The CWC issues a weekly bulletin every Thursday, providing updates on the status of these reservoirs. According to the bulletin, out of the 150 reservoirs, 20 are dedicated to hydroelectric projects, with a total live storage capacity of 35.30 billion cubic meters (BCM). The CWC bulletin on July 4 said the live storage availa

Bhilai steel plant township faces water crisis as reservoir levels drop

However, the water crisis has not hit operations at BSP yet

More than 50% marginal farmers reported losing crops due to extreme weather

The study suggested buffering of water in reservoirs, and the recharge of groundwater through check dams and watersheds for water in agriculture

Water level at India's main reservoirs declines to 23%, says CWC report

The water level of the country's 150 main reservoirs has dropped to 23 per cent and is also 77 per cent less than last year's levels at this time, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) data. Last week, the live storage of these reservoirs was at 24 per cent. The present storage is merely 77 per cent of last year's levels and 94 per cent of the normal storage, CWC data stated. In its latest weekly bulletin, released on Friday, the commission said that "the total live storage available is 41.705 billion cubic metres (BCM), equating to 23 per cent of the total capacity". "This is a significant decrease from the 53.832 BCM recorded during the same period last year and the normal storage level of 44.511 BCM. Consequently, the current storage is only 77 per cent of last year's levels and 94 per cent of the normal storage," the commission said. The 150 main reservoirs monitored by the CWC have a combined live storage capacity of 178.784 BCM, which is around 69.35 per cent of the to

South water reservoir levels down 46%: Central Water Commission bulletin

The live storage in 150 reservoirs of the country was 45.3 bcm as on May 16, 2024. It was 57.4 bcm in 2023