Depleting Water Storage

May 5, 2026

There has been steep depletion in India’s water storage. While storage in 166 reservoirs has fallen below 40 per cent, water levels in river basins are also steadily declining. Reservoir levels in Assam, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and West Bengal have decreased compared to last year. The weekly bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on April 30, 2026, clearly indicates this.

The CWC monitors the live storage of 166 reservoirs in the country and issues a weekly bulletin every Thursday. Of these reservoirs, 20 are connected to hydropower projects, with a total live storage capacity of 35.299 billion cubic meters (BCM). The total live storage capacity of these 166 reservoirs is 183.565 BCM, which is approximately 71.20 per cent of the estimated total capacity of 257.812 BCM created in the country.

According to the bulletin dated April 30, 2026, the live storage available in these reservoirs is 71.082 BCM, which is 38.72 per cent of their total capacity, as against 44.71 per cent on April 9, 2026.

However, compared to normal levels or last year, the situation is considered better, as during the same period last year, the storage was 62,296 BCM, while the normal storage was 56,176 BCM. Normal storage refers to the average storage over the past 10 years.
But the situation is much worse in eastern, Northeastern, and southern India. Assam has the worst reservoirs, with a depletion of about 43 per cent of normal levels. Tripura’s reservoirs have fallen by about 42 per cent, and West Bengal’s by about 58 per cent. Many reservoirs in these states are below 40 per cent.

Overall storage in South India is reported to be better than normal, but declines in some key states are raising concerns. Karnataka has about 14 per cent less water storage than normal. Kerala has seen a slight decline, but water levels are continuing to fall. Tamil Nadu has recorded a nearly 22 per cent depletion in reservoirs, indicating pressure on the Cauvery basin. Most importantly, 36 reservoirs in South India are below 40 per cent, the highest in the country.