Central Water Commission (CWC) under Ministry of Water Resources is monitoring storage position of 81 important reservoirs spread all over the country, of which as many as 36 reservoirs have significant hydro-power benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW each. The combined live storage in these 81 reservoirs at the beginning of monsoon i.e. 1st June, 2007 was 25 per cent of their designed capacity and stood at 34 per cent of the designed capacity as on
27th March 2008. The present storage is 85 per cent of the last year’s storage and 116 per cent of last 10 years average storage during the same period. Out of these 81 reservoirs there are presently 17 reservoirs where this year’s storage is 80 per cent or less than the average of previous 10 years and in the remaining 64 reservoirs the storage is more than 80 per cent of the average of previous 10 years.
In order to derive the best possible benefits from the available water, Central Water Commission is keeping in touch with the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation and providing information of the weekly storage position to the Crop Weather Watch Group for evolving suitable crop strategies and also apprising the situation to various Departments and Ministries involved in Water Resources Planning.
Basinwise storage position as on 27th March 2008 is as follows:
The storage position in ten basins namely Ganga, Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, Krishna, Godavari, Tapi, Kutch, Cauvery and Neighbouring East Flowing Rivers and West Flowing rivers of South is better than average of previous 10 years. Mahanadi and Neighbouring East flowing Rivers and Indus are flowing deficient.
Out of 36 reservoirs with significant hydro potential, 13 reservoirs have storage build up less than the average of last 10 years capacity.
