Deficient rainfall in pockets of southern, western and northern India, have impacted the overall water levels at the country’s 91 key reservoirs. According to data released by Central Water Commission (CWC) on Thursday, the average water table in these reservoirs has been less than last year’s level as well the average of last 10 years during this time of the year. Although water level in reservoirs in northern, eastern, central and western India has been more than or marginally less than last year’s and average of last 10 year’s, ‘deficient’ rainfall in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have adversely impacted water levels in southern India.
Experts say the lower water levels in pockets of southern region are unlikely to hit kharif crop sowing (which is now up around 2.5% from last year), drinking water availability and hydropower.
According to CWC data, while 31 reservoirs located in the southern states where water table has reported at 29% of holding capacities against 39% last year, overall water table in key reservoirs across the country have been 47% of their capacities. A year ago, the average water table was 54% of their capacities while 10 year average of water table is 53% of their capacities.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall over north,east and south regions over the next few days. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over West Bengal, east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, north-eastern states, coastal Andhra Pradesh, south interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” according to an IMD forecast.
According to IMD, the cumulative rainfall received till Thursday across the country has been 97% of the bench mark Long Period Average (LPA). However, north-west India has received ‘excess’ rainfall of 110% and central India has received rains 97% of LPA. In case of southern peninsula, the rainfall so far has been 84% of LPA while only in east & north-east region, there has been ‘below normal’ rainfall at 95% of LPA.
Rainfall in the range of 96-104% of LPA is treated as ‘normal’. LPA rainfall is pegged at 89 cm, on the basis of average between 1951-2000. Out of the 36 sub-divisions in the country, five have received ‘excess’ rainfall while 26 got ‘normal’ rains so far while only six have received ‘deficient’ rains. In terms of area, 19% of the country falls in ‘excess’ rainfall zone while 69% received ‘normal’ monsoon this year while 12% of areas fall in ‘deficient’ rainfall zones.
At present, only Kerala, south interior Karnataka, Marathwada, Vidarbha and western Uttar Pradesh have received ‘deficient’ rainfall. In June, the met department predicted that monsoon season (June-September) rainfall for the country as a whole to be 98% of the (LPA) with a model error of ±4%, while the heartening factor is that the showers in July, which has 33% share in overall monsoon rains would be 96% of its LPA while actual rainfall during the month was 102% of LPA. August which has share of 29% in overall monsoon rains is expected to receive shower at 99% of LPA.