Key Points
Water levels in Indias 150 major reservoirs have dropped to 35% of their total capacity, particularly in the South where six have gone dry and levels in another 20 are in the single digit..
This prediction, coupled with drying water reservoirs, has prompted agriculture economists warn of an adverse impact on the current rabi crop, especially in southern regions, as well as summer crops in UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu..
In the near term, owing to a prediction of high temperatures over an extended period, summer crop sowing which largely comprises cereals like bajra and maize, pulses like moong, and vegetables like cucurbits and melons are expected to be negatively impacted following lower reservoir levels across key states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," Sharma added..
As far as the eastern region is concerned, water level in 23 reservoirs across Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland and Bihar depleted to 9.242 BCM, 45.24% of total live storage capacity of 20.430 BCM, while that of 49 reservoirs in the western region fell to 14.835 BCM, 40 % of total live storage capacity of f 37.130 BCM..
Water level in west Indian reservoirs last year during the same time was 47% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 38% of live storage capacity..
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