Surplus Monsoon Fills Major Indian Reservoirs, But 22% Rainfall Deficit Persists In Northeastern States

News18

16 hours ago

Most states have recorded normal to above-normal rains so far except eastern UP, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Sikkim, Rayalaseema, and Lakshadweep, where deficiency persists
With nearly 6 per cent above-normal rainfall so far this monsoon, the reservoir storage across all the major river basins—except the Brahmaputra—is now significantly higher than during the same period last year. This surge follows the early onset of the southwest monsoon, which delivered normal to above-normal rain on most days.
The Central Water Commission (CWC), which monitors as many as 161 important reservoirs across states, including 20 with hydroelectric projects, said the overall storage position in the country is better than the same period of last year and is also better than the normal storage during the corresponding period. As of July 31, the 161 major reservoirs in India had 126.48 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water—about 69% of their total capacity of 182.5 BCM. This is significantly higher than the normal storage of 84.23 BCM and also more than the 84.59 BCM stored at the same time last year. These reservoirs account for around 71% of the total live storage capacity of 257.81 BCM.
This bodes well for the paddy farmers and is likely to benefit the overall Kharif crop output across all states this year. Most states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, have better storage than last year. This spans all major river basins, including the Ganga, Godavari, Cauvery, Narmada, Krishna, Indus, Mahi, as well as Tapi.
However, northeastern states continue to reel under deficient rains this season. With a 22% monsoon deficit so far, the storage in the Brahmaputra basin in Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland remains lower than normal. The region is expected to get below-normal rain in August as well, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 'This is in line with the long-term trends we have observed over the region. The monsoon rains have somewhat decreased over the northeastern states in recent years," said Dr M Mohapatra, director-general, IMD. In fact, the July rains over the Northeast were the fourth-lowest since 2001 this year.
Brief lull, and then above-normal rains in September
According to the IMD, there is likely to be a brief lull in the monsoon during the next two weeks, with subdued rainfall activity through mid-August. 'It is not precisely a break in the monsoon, as northern plains will continue to receive rains, but overall rainfall activity over India will be subdued. It will gradually gain momentum after 14-15 August, and more so in the last week of August. We are expecting near-normal rains in August," said Dr Mohapatra.
After making an early onset over India this year, the southwest monsoon has brought excess rains on most days during the last two months. It ended July with nearly 6% above-normal rains, but it was 23% above-normal for the core monsoon zone comprising the central states, which are mostly rain-fed. This comes after the monsoon's early arrival over most parts of the country this year. It covered the entire country by June 29, against the normal date of July 8.
As of July 31, all subdivisions have recorded normal to above-normal rains except eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Rayalaseema, and Lakshadweep, where the deficiency persists.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is confident that the rainfall during the next two months of the season—August and September—is also likely to be excess, nearly 106% above the long-period average (LPA). 'If we look month-wise, then August may get normal rains, but it is expected to be above normal in September when the monsoon also begins to withdraw from the country," said Dr Mohapatra.
The monsoon remained active for most of July, with nearly six low-pressure systems supporting it for nearly 28 days. There was regular formation and movement of monsoon disturbances from eastern India to Rajasthan, bringing excess rains during almost all weeks in July across most parts of central India except during July 17 to 23.
About the Author
Srishti Choudhary
Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo...Read More
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 01, 2025, 20:09 IST
News india Surplus Monsoon Fills Major Indian Reservoirs, But 22% Rainfall Deficit Persists In Northeastern States
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