CWC monitoring water storage position of 78 reservoirs

New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) The Central Water Commission (CWC) is monitoring storage position of 78 important reservoirs spread all over the country, of which as many as 33 reservoirs have significant hydro-power benefits with an installed capacity of more than 60 Mega Watts (MW) each.

The combined live storage in these 78 reservoirs at the beginning of monsoon on June 1,2007 was 25 per cent of their designed capacity and stood at 57 per cent of the designed capacity as on July 26,2007. The present storage is 135 per cent of last year's storage and 181 per cent of last 10 years average storage during the same period.

Out of these 78 reservoirs, there are at present 8 reservoirs where this year's storage is 80 per cent or less than the average of previous ten years and in the remaining 70 reservoirs the storage is more than 80 per cent of the average of previous 10 years.

To derive the best possible benefits from the available water, CWC is 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 basinwise Storage Position as on July 26,2007 was that the storage position in twelve basins, namely Ganga, Indus, Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and Mahanadi and neighbouring East Flowing Rivers, Kutch , Cauvery and neighbouring East Flowing Rivers and West flowing Rivers of South is better than the average of previous 10 years.

Out of 33 reservoirs with significant hydro potential, 4 reservoirs have storage build up less than the average of last ten years capacity, said an official release here today.

UNI