New Delhi, July 21 -- Water levels at India's major reservoirs remained well below last year's levels even after an improvement in monsoon rainfall, highlighting the uneven spatial distribution of rain this season.

The water stored in 166 major reservoirs stood at 63.25 billion cubic metres (BCM), or 34.5% of their total capacity of 183.57 BCM, on 16 July, according to data from the Central Water Commission, a division of the jal shakti ministry. This is 39.2% lower than the 103.96 BCM recorded a year earlier.

Low reservoir storage may constrain irrigation for kharif and rabi crops, reduce hydropower generation and tighten drinking water supplies if monsoon rain remains uneven. It may affect crop yields, raise food inflation risks and i...