India’s Reservoirs Under Pressure as 70% of Regions Face Rainfall Deficit, Says Report

From the beginning of 2026, about 70% of regions in India have received less than normal or no rainfall. This is making the situation stressful for water storage.

Out of the total water available in 166 major reservoirs of the country is 104.13 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is 56.73% of the total capacity of 183.565 BCM, according to the weekly bulletin of the Central Water Commission (CWC) published on March 5, 2026.

According to the CWC bulletin, this level is nearly 13% higher than last year and 27% higher than the normal level. However, in many reservoirs, the water level is much less than the normal level.

Although the total water storage is still more than normal, the situation is expected to worsen due to the rapid depletion of storage. The water level in some states and river basins has receded alarmingly. This is especially true for reservoirs of South India and some Northeastern states.

Storage Status in South India

The Southern region comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

According to field data, the total live storage available in 47 reservoirs of South India is 26.35 BCM, which is about 47.66% of their total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This is lower than other regions of the country and may raise concerns about water availability during the summer season.

Storage during the corresponding period of last year was 47.62% and normal storage during corresponding period was 38.22% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the storage of last year and is also better than the normal storage during the corresponding period

Experts told Down To Earth that the demand for irrigation and drinking water in South India is already high. Considering present situation, water crisis conditions may develop in many areas if the pre-monsoon rainfall is less than normal.

Storage Below 50% of Normal Storage

According to the Central Water Commission bulletin, at least five reservoirs in India have storage below 50% of the normal level. Among them, the worst situation is in Bihar’s Chandan Dam. Only 14.93% of the normal water is left.

The Chandan River, which originated in the Deoghar hills of modern-day Jharkhand, was crossed by the Chandan Dam in 1962. In the Banka district, it is one of the most significant irrigation projects. The dam irrigates portions of the Bhagalpur district as well as the Banka, Bausi, Barahat, and Dhoraiya blocks. About 80,000 hectares of rabi and kharif crops can be irrigated by it.

Rabi crops and summer irrigation will be difficult in the upcoming months due to the reservoir's current significantly lower water level than usual.

In addition, approximately 31.58% of water remains in Sholayar (Tamil Nadu), 38.16% in Vaigai (Tamil Nadu), 43.40% in Khandong (Assam), and 46.37% in Tuirial (Mizoram).