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Water to become scarce this year, drought possible
The prediction of a weak monsoon by weather forecasters has raised worries of a water crisis in the country. Water is quickly depleting in key reservoirs.
The prediction of a weak monsoon by weather forecasters has raised worries of a water crisis in the country. Water is quickly depleting in key reservoirs. Currently, water levels are significantly higher than the average in most places with the exception of south India, but a late and slow monsoon could change the situation very quickly.
The latest update from the Central Water Commission (CWS), which tracks the status of 85 of the most important reservoirs in the country, said ‘live’ storage in these water bodies was at 33% of their total capacity on May 1st. 30 of the 85 reservoirs are located in south India, followed by 22 in the west, 15 in the east, 12 in central and 6 in the northern region of the country.
Though it’s normal for water bodies to deplete sharply in the pre-monsoon summer months in India, the water levels in these reservoirs were 126% of the corresponding period last year and 142% of the average of the past 10 years. But these bodies rely mainly on the monsoons to get recharged. If the monsoons are indeed sparse in June and July, the situation could become acute.
Crises have already risen in parts of South India, the CWC reports. The key reservoirs in the region are currently just 16% of their entire capacity, dangerously below the 10 year average at the corresponding period, of 21%.
The commission also reports the the all-India storage declined from 61.78 BCM on April 3rd, to 51.13 BCM on May 1st. This affects the agricultural production due to poor canal irrigation as well as the drinking water supplies and hydro-power generation.
Last month, the International Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the country may get below average rainfall this year because of a developing El Nino, which refers to the periodic warming of central and east equatorial Pacific waters. The El Nino happens every 4 to 12 years and affects the water systems across the globe. The last time the El Nino occurred, in 2009, India faced its worst drought in four decades.
The IMD puts the probability of a normal monsoon at just 35%.
