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The mercury has soared all across India, because of which the water storage availability at India's 91 major reservoirs has dipped to mere 37.92 billion cubic metres, and this might come as a shock to everyone, but this is just 24% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs. 
 In its latest bulletin, the <keyword id="6357283" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Central-Water-Commission">Central Water Commission</keyword> has noted that as on April 7, the storage status of these reservoirs was even less than the corresponding period last year. 
 
It is during the monsoon period of June to September that the reservoirs usually get their share of water; however, because of less rainfall in 2014 and 2015, they have seen heavy decline in water availability. This is also directly hampering the irrigation scene of India. 
 
As a ray of hope, the India Meteorological Department has predicted abundant rainfall this year, because of which these reservoirs are supposed to get enough water during this monsoon. 
 
Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, UP, Uttarakhand, MP, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala are facing lesser storage than last year’s corresponding period. 
 
On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura, only two states have reported better storage as compared to the previous year. 
 
<a href="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE0LzAxLzMxLzE4L2NhbGlmb3JuaWEuMGU3YjUuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJMTQ0MHgxMDAwPgplCWpwZw/4d99367d/853/california_drought_4.jpg">Image source</a> (Image for representational purpose only)

91 Key reservoirs in India have less than a quarter of their full capacities left

An extended period of insufficient rains has led to an alarming water situation in many parts of the country. Two consecutive monsoon failures could also be a reason why the water situation has gone this disturbing. This has also forced the state governments to take some strict and required actions to tackle the alarming situation of water crisis. 
 
The delayed rains have already hurt hydropower generation, which would result in the delay of planting pulses, cotton, paddy and millets in western and southern states. In these states, water level has fallen drastically, a situation better in northern India where some reservoirs are still in a better position. 
 
"The situation is alarming as of now. We will soon be sending advisories to state governments for judicious use of water from reservoirs. Better planning can rescue states in the next few months if rains are delayed or not widespread," GS Jha, chairman of Central Water Commission told ET. CWC is the authority responsible for monitoring the country's water situation by keeping a watch on 91 major reservoirs that feed hydropower plants and irrigate fields. It also advises the central and state governments on how they should use water for drinking, irrigation and industrial use. 
 
While rainfall received in January and February was lowest in five years, March received 13% above average rainfall, but even then, it had been insufficient to make a difference to the reservoirs. 
 
As of March 23, these 91 major reservoirs held 41.643 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water, which is 31% less than 60.015 bcm at this time in 2015, as per data from CWC. 
 
<a href="https://irawaterpurifiers.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/drought.jpg">Image source</a>

It took several dried up reservoirs to make us notice the water crisis

Maharashtra is in deep crisis. The elixir of life, Water, is missing from the state. Drought-hit Maharashtra is facing one of the biggest water crises in decades. 
 
The drought in Maharashtra is amplifying as days are passing by. The water in reservoirs of the state are not enough to meet the demands of parched people of the state as 17 huge reservoirs of Maharashtra are left with just 2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water against the requirement of 45 bcm. 
 
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC), water levels in Maharashtra’s reservoirs were slightly over 30% of their full capacities in January, imagine what would be the situation now with no rainfall expected for 2 more months. 
 
The CWC has stated that between January and now, water levels in all 91 big reservoirs in the country, including Maharashtra, almost halved from a cumulative 44% of capacity to 23%. The reservoirs now together hold about 36 bcm vis-a-vis their total capacity of about 158 bcm. 
 
Moreover, only 3% water is left in dams in the Marathwada region. 
 
Eight of the region’s 11 major dams are at dead storage level, meaning water from these dams cannot flow out and has to be lifted. 
 
The situation is becoming tense as an 11-year-old girl died of heatstroke while collecting water from a village pump. 
 
Here’s an overview:

The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manatee_Looking_at_the_Camera.jpg">Chris Muenzer/Wikimedia Commons</a></div></div>MIAMI (Reuters) - A record number of manatees died in Florida waters this year and the leading killer of the endangered mammals was a toxic algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The commission's research institute said it documented 803 manatee deaths in state waters between January 1 and December 13, the most for any year since record-keeping began in 1974.
That was more than double the 392 manatee deaths in Florida in 2012 and up sharply from the 453 deaths recorded in 2011.
"The previous record was 766 manatee deaths and that was in 2010," commission spokesman Kevin Baxter said on Friday. "That was a year when cold weather was a major factor," he added.
Baxter said a Red Tide that killed 276 manatees in the Gulf, in an area centered largely off Ft. Myers, was the single leading cause of death in 2013.
Naturally occurring algae sometimes grow out of control for unknown reasons, turning the water red and producing a suite of neurotoxins deadly to fish, sea turtles, birds and marine mammals.
The algae settles on the sea grasses that manatees eat, affecting their nervous system and ultimately causing them to drown, Baxter said.
"The previous record for Red Tide deaths that we've documented was 151 and that was in 1996," he said.
Algae could also be a factor behind at least 92 manatee deaths this year in the Indian River Lagoon, in central Florida along the state's Atlantic coast, Baxter said.
He said the exact cause of the deaths was still undetermined. But an algal bloom had clouded the water in parts of the lagoon, blocking out sunlight, inhibiting sea grass growth, and possibly forcing the manatees to eat something that is killing them off.
"We do believe that it may have something to do with a dietary change, Baxter said.
An aerial survey conducted in 2011 showed that there was a "minimum count" of at least 4,834 manatees living in Florida's waters, Baxter said.
The West Indian manatee, the whiskered and wrinkled "sea cow" known to Floridians, is related the African and Amazon species and to the dugong of Australia. It grows to at least 10 feet and more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
(Reporting by Tom Brown; Editing by David Gregorio)

Manatee Death Toll Hits Record In Florida, 'Red Tide' Blamed

New Delhi, The water level of the <keyword id="6354936" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="yamuna" source="Orion">Yamuna</keyword> in Delhi crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres yet again on Friday, further delaying rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected low-lying areas. The Central Water Commission's (CWC) data showed the water level reached 205.34 metres at 6 pm on Friday and may rise further to 205.45 metres by 11 pm. There have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last two-three days amid rain in the upper catchment areas, primarily in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The <keyword id="6354936" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="yamuna" source="Orion">Yamuna</keyword> had been receding gradually after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13. The water level dropped below the danger mark by 8 pm on Tuesday after flowing above the threshold for eight days. It receded to 205.22 metres at 5 am on Wednesday, before it started rising again and breached the danger mark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till July 22. In case of heavy rains upstream of Delhi, the increase in the water level could slow down the pace of rehabilitation of the affected families in the inundated low-lying areas of the capital and they may have to stay in relief camps for a longer period. It could also impact the water supply in the city, which became normal only on Tuesday after being affected for four to five days due to the inundation of a pump house at Wazirabad. The pump house supplies raw water to Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants, which together account for around 25 per cent of the city's supply. According to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials, there is a shortage of 10-12 million gallons of water per day (MGD) due to inundation of some tube wells in the river floodplain at Palla. The DJB extracts around 30 MGD from the tube wells installed in the Palla floodplain. Parts of Delhi have been grappling with waterlogging and flooding for more than a week now. Initially, a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9, with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly rainfall quota in just two days. Subsequently, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Yamuna, including in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana, led to the river swelling to record levels. At 208.66 metres on July 13, the Yamuna surpassed its previous record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin. It breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in over four decades. The consequences of the floods have been devastating, with more than 27,000 people evacuated from their homes. The losses incurred in terms of property, businesses and earnings have run up to crores. Experts attribute the unprecedented flooding in Delhi to encroachment on the river floodplain, extreme rainfall within a short span of time and silt accumulation that has raised the riverbed.

Yamuna water level crosses danger mark in Delhi again

<ul><li>Finance Minister of India, <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> reiterated the need for sustainable water management system in India. </li></ul><ul><li>The government has already identified 1592 block in 256 districts which are facing water crisis and is planning to infuse additional funds. </li></ul><ul><li>India is suffering from its worst-ever water crisis in history. </li></ul>Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated the need for sustainable water management system in India. She said, Constitution of Jal Shakti Mantralaya was a big step in water management-- the ministry will look at water-related issues in a holistic manner and will ensure water supply in every household by 2024. The government has already identified 1592 block in 256 districts which are facing water crisis and is planning to infuse additional funds. India is suffering from its worst-ever water crisis in history. It has already started affecting hundreds and millions of lives and livelihoods across the country. A large number of people are now washing utensils in dirty water, to save the clean water for cooking and drinking. There won’t be any relief anytime soon as the southwest monsoon — accounting 80% of India’s rainfall — is late and is expected to be <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/monsoon-to-be-below-normal-over-north-south-india-imd/articleshow/69602283.cms">lower than usual</a> in both north and south India. As many as 100 million people in the country are suffering from the nation-wide water crisis. Moreover, 21 major cities are expected to be devoid of groundwater by 2020, says government think tank NITI Aayog Only some parts of the country have received rainfall — that too almost a week late. Apart from the water crisis, the harsh heatwaves in the country took more than <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/22/india/chennai-india-water-crisis-intl/index.html">137 lives </a>. India’s dwindling water sources worsened the situation. <a href="http://202.159.215.252:83/DocumentUploadRoot/DocumentId_32837/20.06.2019_CWC_Bull.pdf">According to the Central Water Commission</a>, two-thirds water reservoirs in the country are below normal levels. More than 100 districts across the country are officially affected by drought. Most of the districts (80%) in Karnataka and Maharashtra (72%) are hit by drought and crop failure. As many as 8.2 million farmers are struggling for livelihood. With scarcity comes strife. The state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra — are now fighting over sharing water resources. Not only this, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are amongst the 21 cities that will run out of groundwater by 2020. This will affect as many as 100 million people, claims a report by NITI Ayog. Furthermore, 40% of India’s population will struggle for drinking water by 2030. With India’s water crisis deepening by the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently created Ministry of Jal Shakti that is going to look after the water resource management. Modi also reiterated his promise to provide piped water to every rural house in India by 2024. The Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) reported that 43.4% areas in the country are under drought as of 30 May 2019. A delayed monsoon is among the primary reasons for the current crisis.

You Searched For "Central Water Commission" and got 6 results

91 Key reservoirs in India have less than a quarter of their full capacities left

BI India Bureau

It took several dried up reservoirs to make us notice the water crisis

BI India Bureau

The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained

Akanksha Jain

Manatee Death Toll Hits Record In Florida, 'Red Tide' Blamed

Reuters

Yamuna water level crosses danger mark in Delhi again

PTI

Every household in India will get water supply by 2024 under the ‘Jal-Jeevan Mission’ says Nirmala Sitharaman

BI India Bureau

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