Over half of the country's 71 major water reservoirs have less than 30 per cent water storage, threatening the collapse of the canal irrigation system in rain-deficient areas where standing crops are facing moisture stress.
Besides, it could also adversely affect hydel power production, it is feared. While 10 reservoirs are left with no water for irrigation, nine others are on the verge of attaining that position in the next few days if the lull in the monsoon continues unabated. These dams, at present, have only five to 10 per cent water storage.
On the whole, water storage in 38 of the total 71 reservoirs is below one-third capacity. About 19 others are less than half-full. Merely 14 reservoirs are over half-full.
Some of the important multipurpose projects where the storage levels have already turned precarious or are close to being so include Gobind Sagar (Bhakra), Pong dam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Rana Pratap Sagar apart from a few others.
According to the Central Water Commission which monitors water level in the country's major reservoirs, the total water available on July 23 was 28.47 billion cubic metres (BCM). This is merely 22 per cent of these dams' total water storage capacity of 131.28 BCM.
This is about 66 per cent of the last 10 year's average water storage at this time of the year. The reservoirs which have already