Indian efforts to make best usage of water reservoirs

New Delhi, July 2 : Central Water Commission (CWC) is monitoring storage position of 81 important reservoirs spread all over the country, of which as many as 36 reservoirs have significant hydro-power benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW each.

The combined live storage in these 81 reservoirs at the beginning of monsoon on June 1, this year was 19 per cent of their designed capacity and stood at 21 per cent of the designed capacity as on June 26,

The present storage is 110 per cent of the last year's storage and 148 per cent of last 10 years average storage during the same period.

Out of these 81 reservoirs there are presently 23 reservoirs where this year's storage is 80 per cent or less than the average of previous 10 years and in the remaining 58 reservoirs the storage is more than 80 per cent of the average of previous 10 years.

In order to derive the best possible benefits from the available water, Central Water Commission 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.

Basinwise storage position as on June 26, 2008 is as follows:

The storage position in 8 basins namely Ganga, Indus, Mahi, Sabarmati, Krishna, Rivers of Kutch, Cauvery and Neighbouring East Flowing Rivers and West Flowing rivers and Mahanadi and Neighbouring of East flowing Rivers are better than average of previous 10 years. Tapi, Godavari, West Flowing Rivers of South are close to normal and Narmada is flowing deficient.

Out of 36 reservoirs with significant hydro potential, 12 reservoirs have storage build up less than the average of last 10 years capacity.

ANI