New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- Scanty rains of the southwest monsoon have left India's key reservoirs severely depleted, threatening irrigation, agricultural output and hydropower generation. Reservoirs that were over 90% full last year are now not even two-thirds full, official data showed, following one of the driest monsoon seasons in decades.

Water levels at India's 178 reservoirs supplying irrigation canals, hydropower units and municipal drinking water are down 27% from a year ago to 121.9 billion cubic metres (bcm), official data showed. The dry spell is already rippling through the rural economy, where six states have declared drought, rabi crop sowing has dropped, and the Reserve Bank of India has warned of mounting risks to food inflati...