Thirteen Major Reservoirs Below 50% Storage as River Basins Across India Record Rapid Water Decline

Central Water Commission (CWC) data reveals that storage across 166 monitored reservoirs plunged from 71.082 BCM on April 30 to 63.232 BCM on May 14. This rapid depletion comes at a time when nationwide demand for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower generation remains critically high.

India’s water security is facing an immediate challenge as 13 major reservoirs have plummeted below 50 percent of their normal storage capacity. According to the latest data, several vital river basins are experiencing a rapid decline in water levels, threatening to severely strain drinking water networks, agricultural irrigation, and regional power grids in the coming weeks.

While meteorologists expect the monsoon to arrive ahead of schedule, lingering concerns over El Niño's potential to disrupt seasonal rainfall add to the gravity of the situation. If the monsoon underperforms, these depleting river basins could plunge multiple states into an unprecedented water crisis.

A Two-Week Plunge in Water Reserves

The latest report from the Central Water Commission (CWC) highlights that a total of 63.232 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water is currently available across the country’s monitored reservoirs. While this figure is technically 24 percent higher than historical averages for this specific time of year, the rate of depletion is causing alarm.

On April 30, 2026, the available storage in the country’s 166 reservoirs stood at 71.082 BCM, representing 38.72 percent of their cumulative total capacity. By May 14, that volume shrank sharply to 63.232 BCM—a mere 34.45 percent of total capacity. This indicates that India lost approximately 8 BCM of stored water in a span of just two weeks.

South and East India Hit Hardest

The accelerating water depletion is most visible in southern and eastern parts of the country. The CWC’s late-April assessment had already flagged 36 reservoirs in Southern India with water levels below 40 percent. The mid-May data reveals that critical reservoirs across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana have now breached the sub-50 percent threshold of their normal capacities.

For instance, Tamil Nadu’s Vaigai reservoir is running on just 12.47 percent of its normal storage, while the Aliyar reservoir stands at 21.25 percent. In Kerala, the Periyar reservoir’s storage has dropped to 41.65 percent.

The situation has turned critical for several reservoirs that have reached absolute dead storage. While only the Chandan Dam in Bihar was reported dry on April 30, the May 14 report confirms that three reservoirs have now hit zero water levels:

• Chandan Dam (Bihar) — 0.00%

• Bhima Ujjaini (Maharashtra) — 0.00%

• Maudaha Reservoir (Uttar Pradesh) — 0.00%

Additionally, major installations like Khandong in Assam, Tattahalla in Karnataka, Rajghat in Madhya Pradesh, and the massive Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand are recording severe storage deficits.

River Basins Wasting Away

Parallel to reservoir depletion, India’s primary river basins are facing significant hydrological stress. Over the same two-week window, major river basins recorded a steady downward trajectory:

• Ganga Basin: Dropped from ~50% to 43.34%

• Godavari Basin: Dropped from ~40% to 36.52%

• Narmada Basin: Dropped from ~39% to 34.96%

• Krishna Basin: Weakened further to just 19.31%

In the northeastern region, the Barak basin remains the country's most hydrologically vulnerable basin, sitting more than 20 percent below its normal levels. Similarly, eastern river basins—including the Brahmani-Baitarani, Cauvery, and Mahanadi-Pennar system—are all trending below normal baselines.

The Breakdown: Reservoirs Under Stress

The number of major reservoirs falling below half of their normal storage capacity climbed from nine to thirteen in the first half of May. The current status of these stressed assets includes:

Furthermore, 31 reservoirs nationwide are currently operating at 80 percent or less of their normal capacity. Within this category, 18 reservoirs are lingering in the 51-to-80 percent bracket, indicating a broader, systemic decline across multiple states.

Immediate Outlook

While the Central Water Commission notes that aggregate national storage levels remain marginally better than last year's figures and the rolling 10-year average, the rapid rate of evaporation and consumption is a stark warning. High summer temperatures coupled with any potential delays in stabilizing monsoon winds could trigger severe drinking water rationing and agricultural disruptions by the end of May, particularly in states where reservoirs are already half-empty.