India, July 17 -- As the monsoon gained momentum in the first fortnight of July, rainfall increased in some areas and the condition of reservoirs improved slightly. But despite this, the situation still remains worrying.

According to the latest bulletin of the Central Water Commission (CWC), as of July 16, 2026, 63.249 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water was available in 166 major reservoirs of the country, which is 34.46 per cent of their total capacity (live storage).

During the same period last year, this storage was 103.955 BCM, while normal storage is considered to be 64.427 BCM. This means that the current storage is only 60.84 per cent of the same period last year and 98.17 per cent of the normal storage.

Overall, the reservoir ...