CWC monitoring storage of important reservoirs in the country

New Delhi, July 2 (UNI) Central Water Commission is monitoring storage position of 77 important reservoirs across the country, of which as many as 32 reservoirs have significant hydro-power benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW each.

The combined live storage in these 77 reservoirs at the beginning of monsoon (June 1) was 25 per cent of their designed capacity and stood at 26 per cent of the designed capacity as on June 28, an official statement said here today.

The present storage was 118 per cent of last year's storage and 161 per cent of last ten years average storage during the same period.

Out of these 77 reservoirs, only 18 had 80 per cent or less than the average of previous ten years and in the remaining 59 reservoirs the storage was more than 80 per cent of the average of previous ten years.

In order to derive the best possible benefits from the available water, Central Water Commission was keeping in touch with the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation and providing information of the weekly storage position to the Crop Weather Watch Group for evolving suitable crop strategies and also apprising the situation to various Departments and Ministries involved in Water Resources Planning.

The storage position in nine basins namely Ganga, Indus, Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery and Neighbouring East Flowing Rivers and West Flowing Rivers of South was better than average of previous ten years.

Whereas, it was close to normal in Tapi and Mahanadi and Neighbouring East Flowing Rivers. It was deficient in Rivers of Kutch.

Out of 32 reservoirs with significant hydro potential, 12 reservoirs had storage build up less than the average of last ten years capacity and two reservoirs namely Kangsabati in West Bengal and Sriramsagar in Andhra Pradesh had negative storage.

UNI