Archive · 22 Jan 2026
India's Reservoir Levels Drop to 71% Capacity
India has 166 big water storage places called reservoirs.
Right now, they are only 71% full, which is less than usual.
This is because it hasn't rained much.
Most places in India didn't get enough rain this year.
Some areas, like the west, have more water because they got a lot of rain during the monsoon.
But other areas, like the south and east, have less water than last year.
The weather people say it might rain next week, but it probably won't fill up the reservoirs much.
Storage in India's 166 major reservoirs dropped to 71.23% of the 183.565 BCM capacity.
The current storage level is 130.753 BCM, higher by 7 percentage points than last year but lower by 23.5 percentage points than the 10-year average.
91% of India's 726 districts received deficient or no rainfall since the beginning of the year.
The western region's reservoirs are at 82.29% capacity due to surplus monsoon rainfall, while other regions are below 80%.
The IMD predicts rainfall next week, but it is unlikely to significantly increase reservoir storage levels.
- Who
- India's Central Water Commission and India Meteorological Department
- What
- Storage levels in 166 major reservoirs have dropped to 71.23% of capacity
- When
- As of January 22, 2026
- Where
- Across India, with varying levels in different regions
- Why
- Due to deficient rainfall, with 91% of districts receiving less or no rainfall
- Total Reservoir Capacity
- 183.565 BCM
- Current Storage
- 130.753 BCM (71.23% of capacity)
- Storage Compared to Last Year
- 7 percentage points higher
- Storage Compared to 10-Year Average
- 23.5 percentage points lower
- Deficient Rainfall Districts
- 91% of 726 districts
- Normal Rainfall Expected
- 10.6 mm
- Actual Rainfall Received
- 1.9 mm (as of January 22, 2026)