Only 26 percent water in 166 dams, people will yearn for water in these states including UP… New report on water crisis in India

Monsoon rains are occurring in many parts of the country. At some places there are flood like conditions and at some places the rivers are in spate. But despite this a big concern has emerged. The big dams of the country are still not filled with water as expected. The latest report of the Central Water Commission (CWC) has come out, according to which, if there is no good rainfall in the areas connected to the dams in the coming days, then farming, drinking water and power generation may be affected. The biggest concern is in those states of South and Eastern India, where the water level of many reservoirs has been recorded much lower than normal.

Monsoon has reached almost all parts of the country, but it is not raining equally everywhere. While it is raining heavily in some places, many areas are still facing drought-like conditions. The effect of less rainfall is also visible on big dams. At present, there is about 47.725 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water in the country’s reservoirs, while their total capacity is 183.565 billion cubic meters. That means at present the reservoir has been filled only 26 percent of its capacity. This is less than the same time last year and is also below the average of the last 10 years.

• The 166 big dams of the country have only 26 percent water of their total capacity.
• Only 26% water is left in 166 major dams of the country.
• So far 490 districts have received less than normal rainfall.
• Reservoir levels in many states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Jharkhand are much below normal.

What’s in the new report?

According to the report of the Central Water Commission, the condition of 34 reservoirs of the country is considered very serious, where only 50 percent or less water is left as compared to the normal level. The condition of some dams is even more worrying. Chandan Dam of Bihar, Rengali Dam of Odisha, Almatti and Tungabhadra reservoirs of Karnataka have reached very low water levels. Whereas Bhima-Ujjaini in Maharashtra, Aliyar in Tamil Nadu and Maudaha reservoir in Uttar Pradesh have become almost empty as compared to the normal level.

Difficult in some states

If we look at the data, according to the report of Central Water Commission (CWC), the least water is left in Chandan Dam of Bihar, only 1.86%, while only 3.15% water is left in Rengali Dam of Odisha, 10.35% in Almatti Dam of Karnataka and 15.80% water is left in Tungabhadra Dam. At the same time, the water level in Bhima-Ujjaini in Maharashtra, Aliyar in Tamil Nadu and Mauda reservoir in Uttar Pradesh has reached zero (0%) as compared to normal water storage. According to the report released on July 2, 2026, the water storage of reservoirs in 13 states including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana has been recorded less than the average of the last 10 years.

low rainfall figures

The picture of less rainfall is also clearly visible in the data of many states. Above normal in 57 out of 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 34 out of 38 districts of Bihar, 22 out of 30 districts of Odisha, 24 out of 33 districts of Telangana, 27 out of 36 districts of Maharashtra, 23 out of 24 districts of Jharkhand, 25 out of 35 districts of Assam, 31 out of 55 districts of Madhya Pradesh and 32 out of 33 districts of Chhattisgarh. There has been little or very little rain. It is clear from these figures that monsoon has not rained as expected in most parts of many states. This may affect the availability of water in reservoirs, agriculture and drinking water for people.

situation of south india

The biggest concern is about the states of South India. Many reservoirs in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have much less water than normal. Similarly, the condition of reservoirs in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Mizoram and Nagaland is also not good. The water level in West Bengal is about 62 percent less than normal, in Mizoram by 54 percent, in Karnataka by 46 percent and in Odisha by 19 percent. The biggest reason for this is less and uneven rainfall. Monsoon has reached almost all parts of the country, but it is not raining equally everywhere. Many areas have received good rainfall, while most districts have recorded less than normal rainfall. This is the reason why big dams have not been filled as expected.

there will be many problems

The impact of lack of water in reservoirs will not be limited to agriculture only. Drinking water in many cities also comes from these dams and reservoirs. If the water level remains low, problems like water cuts may arise in cities in the future. Apart from this, electricity is also generated from many big dams. If there is not enough water in the reservoirs, power generation may decrease, which will increase pressure on power supply. Its effect can be felt more during summer and irrigation season.