(MENAFN- Live Mint) "New Delhi: The water level in India's 150 major reservoirs has further shrunk to 31% of their total capacity, as southern states such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka face a significant shortfall in water storage compared with the previous year and the 10-year average like Bengaluru have been grappling with water shortage due to rain deficiency in last year's monsoon, a decline in reservoir level, and the loss of lakes due to rapid urbanization depleting water level is attributed to lower rainfall caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon (which finally ended on Tuesday as per the Australian Bureau of Meteorology), resulting in insufficient rainfall in India, and leading to water scarcity in some regions, besides droughts and prolonged dry periods across Asia many as 21 states in the country have witnessed rain deficiency or no rainfall since March. The country has received 18% below-normal rainfall since March, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).According to data from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the available water level this week in these reservoirs was 56.085 billion cubic meter (BCM), 17% lower than the corresponding period last year when it was 67.575 BCM and 3.5% lower than the average of last 10 years (58.166 BCM). The live storage available in 150 reservoirs as of Thursday was 83% of the live storage of the corresponding period of the previous year and 96% of storage of average of the past 10 years weather bureau last month warned that most regions of the country will witness above-normal temperature during April-June. This prediction, coupled with drying water reservoirs, has prompted agriculture economists to 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.
IMD earlier this week predicted that India will likely receive above-normal monsoon rainfall at 106% of long-period average (87 cm) this year with the El Nino weather phenomenon turning neutral and benign La Nina conditions setting in by August-September, signalling relief across sectors, especially in agriculture monsoon season is crucial for India as it delivers nearly 70% of its annual rainfall. Nearly half of India's arable land doesn't have access to irrigation and depends on these rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybean. Agriculture accounts for about 14% of the country's GDP. About 56% of the net cultivated area is rain-fed, accounting for 44% of food production rainfall leads to robust crop production, helping keep a lid on food prices, including vegetables.
Due to El Nino, India's foodgrain production is estimated to be 6.1% lower in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) at 309 million tonnes, according to the second advance estimates issued by the agriculture and farmers' welfare ministry in February situation in southern regions is turning worrisome as the storage in the 42 reservoirs dropped further to 17% of the 53.334 BCM capacity at 9.316 BCM. During the same period a year ago, the level was 30% of the capacity and 25% of the 10 year average, as per the CWC's latest bulletin issued on Thursday availability in the 26 reservoirs of the central region was at 19.497 BCM, 40% of total live storage capacity of 48.227 BCM. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 44% and average storage of the last ten years during corresponding period was 37%.As far as the eastern region is concerned, the water level in 23 reservoirs across Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland and Bihar fell to 8.292 BCM, 40.6% of total live storage capacity of 20.430 BCM, while that of 49 reservoirs in the western region was down to 12.584 BCM, 33.9% of total live storage capacity of f 37.130 BCM.
Available water level in key reservoirs of east India a year ago was 35% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 40.7%. Water level in west Indian reservoirs last year during the same time was 41% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 33.6% of live storage capacity the northern region, available water in the 10 reservoirs was at 6.396 BCM, 32.5% of total live storage capacity of 19.663 BCM. The storage during the corresponding period last year was 38% and average storage of the last ten years during corresponding period was 33.2%.Also Read | IMD proposes, will weather gods dispose? Here's a data check.
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