MC Daily Monsoon Tracker: Reservoir levels above normal capacity for the first time this season

Heavy downpour increases rainfall surplus

Water levels in India’s 150 reservoirs were 7 percent higher than their normal storage capacity on August 1, the first time this monsoon season, helped by surplus rain.

The levels were 4 percent down in the previous week.

The country’s rainfall surplus increased to 3.17 percent on August 1, compared with 1.79 percent the previous day, with India got 74 percent more rain than normal for on a single day.

Despite the improvement in reservoir levels and precipitation, the progress remains uneven. Levels of Punjab’s reservoirs are 80 percent below normal.

North and east have been worst affected. Northern states had a storage deficit of 38 percent, while eastern regions had a 12 percent shortage, with Bihar down 67 percent.

Even the rain is unevenly spread. Seven states and union territories had a deficit of more than 30 percent, according to data released by India Meteorological Department (IMD). Chandigarh had the highest deficit at 50 percent and Punjab 40 percent.

A normal is calculated using a long-period average of 30 years for a specific region.

IMD has predicted above normal rainfall in the second phase of monsoon (August-September).

Despite normal rainfall, the impact on sowing has been limited, with acreage just 2.3 percent higher than the previous year as of July 26.

Rice sowing has been flat at 216 million hectares, while area under pulses is up 14 percent. Major rice-growing states such as Haryana and Punjab continue to see more than 40 percent rainfall deficit.

Coarse cereals sowing is up 5 percent from the previous year, jute and cotton are down 6.9 percent.

The government is hoping for a revival of the agricultural sector, which recorded 1.4 percent growth in FY24 compared to 4.7 percent in the previous year and 3.7 percent long-term average.