With the world recently having commemorated Water Day 2024, it's pertinent to acknowledge our recurring failure in addressing this crisis whenever there's a shortfall in rainfall. The changing climate, leading to erratic weather patterns, exacerbates this collective failure, posing potential irreparable damages to socio-economic and ecological systems.
This year, the southwest monsoon season (June to September), crucial for rainfall in southern states, experienced a significant 8% deficit compared to the long-term average in 2023. Additionally, the winter monsoon season (October to December) also saw a 13% rainfall deficit in the region.
These consecutive deficits, along with insufficient rainfall this year, have adversely affected reservoir levels across South India. Urban centers in the region, including Bengaluru and Hyderabad, face the consequences, exacerbated by the closure of lake networks and excessive groundwater pumping in recent years
According to the latest weekly report by the
State-wise reservoir levels this week indicate a severe shortage, with Andhra Pradesh at 69% below normal, and Tamil Nadu (30%), Karnataka (24%), and Telangana (12%) also below normal. Kerala is the only state maintaining slightly above normal reservoir levels at 1%.
Rivers such as the Krishna and Cauvery exhibit deficient storage levels, reflecting the widespread shortage in various regions. North India (33%), West India (45%), and Central India (46%) also face storage levels much lower than the ten-year average.
Looking ahead, despite current shortages, many state governments assure the public of sufficient water until June, with expectations of pre-monsoon and monsoon rains to replenish water resources. Reports of El Niño transitioning to neutral and a forthcoming La Niña event suggest normal to above-normal monsoon rainfall.
In Bengaluru, residents are advised against using Cauvery and borewell water for festivities like Holi, although no additional water use restrictions have been imposed by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (