Context: As per the recent data from the Central Water Commission, India’s 161 major reservoirs dropped below 40% of the capacity at the end of March 2025, with the levels in 65 of them below 50%.
Relevance of the Topic : Mains: Declining water levels in reservoirs - reasons and impact.
Major Highlights
- Water storage, in the 161 major reservoirs, had dropped to 72.91 billion cubic metres (BCM) of the 182.375 BCM capacity. It was still higher than last year and normal (last 10 years) levels.
- Barring the Central region, the level in the rest of the country was below 40% of the capacity.
Reason for Declining water levels
- The decline in water level of reservoirs is attributed to deficient post-monsoon and winter rainfall affecting a large portion of the country.
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that 83% of India experienced deficient rainfall from January 1 to January 24. This period has seen over 60% of the country receiving scanty or no rainfall.
Associated Concerns:
This situation raises concerns about water availability for various sectors:
- Security of agriculture and food supply chain: Lower irrigation supply could affect the upcoming Kharif season, impacting food security.
- Groundwater depletion: 80% of India’s irrigation depends on groundwater. With reservoirs (surface water) drying up, farmers are forced to pump more groundwater, leading to aquifer depletion.
- Drinking water shortage: Many cities rely on reservoirs for drinking water. Declining levels can force water restrictions and impact daily life.
- Reduced water levels can worsen the effects of droughts.
Way Forward
- Restoring the hydrological cycle and rejuvenating water bodies such as rivers, streams, lakes, storm drains and reservoirs.
- Encourage rainwater water percolation through soil layers and facilitate groundwater recharge.
- Use treated wastewater, modernisation of water courses, groundwater conservation and recycling of water.
- Improving efficiency of water use by adopting water use efficiency (WUE) measures and treating grey water in industries. Resorting to micro-irrigation, crop diversification, direct seeding of crops in agriculture.
- Adopting the concept of water as an economic good. Water is considered as free, non-economic good such as air. The UN Dublin Principle 1992 emphasised on the importance of economic value of water in general and irrigation water in particular.
Central Water Commission (CWC)
- CWC is a premier Technical Organisation of India in the field of Water Resources.
- Mission: To promote integrated and sustainable development and management of India's Water Resources by using state-of-art technology and competency and coordinating all stakeholders.
- Functions: In consultation with the concerned State Governments, CWC initiates, coordinates and investigates implementation of the schemes for:
- Control, conservation and utilisation of water resources throughout India.
- Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development.