PUNE: The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week was 24 per cent (38.157 BCM) of total storage capacity of these reservoirs.

This percentage was at 20 per cent for last week and the level of water storage as recorded on Thursday in the country was 107 per cent of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 99 per cent of storage of average of last ten years, said a statement issued by the ministry of water resources .

The total storage capacity of these 91 reservoirs is 161.993 BCM which is about 63 per cent of the total storage capacity of 257.812 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country. Thirty seven reservoirs out of the 91 have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.

A statement issued by the ministry of water resources, which issued a region-wise status, shows the northern region has a storage less than the corresponding period last year and is also less than the average storage of last 10 years during the corresponding period. Only the southern region has a better storage this time around due to the heavy rains as against other regions.

The northern region has six reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 3.07 BCM which is 17 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The eastern region has 15 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having a total live storage capacity of 18.83 BCM.

The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 3.22 BCM which is 17 per cent of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. While the western region had 27 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 31.26 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 5.56 BCM which is 18 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The central region has 12 reservoirs under CWC monitoring with a total live storage capacity of 42.30 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 9.65 BCM which is 23 per cent of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs.

The southern region with 31 reservoirs under CWC monitoring has a total live storage capacity of 51.59 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 16.66 BCM, which is 32 per cent of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 14 per cent and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 24 per cent of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the corresponding period of last year and is also better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

