As summer approaches, water levels in key dams across northern India are significantly below normal, prompting authorities to issue warnings about potential impacts on power generation and irrigation. The situation has been worsened by deficient rainfall in the region this season.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC) data released on March 27, combined water storage in crucial reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh is about 46% below normal, while in Punjab, it is 52% lower than average. These low water levels could pose a serious challenge to hydropower generation and agricultural activities that rely on irrigation.
At the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh, the current storage stands at 1.247 billion cubic meters (BCM) out of its total capacity of 6.229 BCM, or just 20% of its capacity. In comparison, the average storage at Bhakra over the past decade for this time of year is 33%.
Similarly, the Pong Dam on the Beas River has only 13% of its total capacity filled, down from the 10-year average of 25%. The Thein Dam on the Ravi River in Punjab is also running low, with just 20% of its capacity filled, compared to the 41% average.
The combined hydropower generation capacity of these dams in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab is 3,175 megawatts (MW), and they also have the potential to irrigate over 1 million hectares of land.
In addition to these low water levels, rainfall in northwest India has been notably deficient. Punjab, for example, received only 7.6 mm of rain between March 1 and 28, which is 65% below the long-period average of 21.5 mm, as per data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Himachal Pradesh has also experienced a 28% deficiency in rainfall during March.
The reduced water availability could have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the region’s power generation capacity but also the irrigation needed for agriculture during the crucial summer months.
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