Good rains during the four-month long southwest monsoon season have filled up most of the reservoirs with significant hydropower-generating capacity, raising hopes that the 2011 summer season might not be as bad as the previous one. As per the latest data from the Central Water Commission (CWC), of the 36 reservoirs across the country that have significant hydropower generating capacities, storage build-up was less than normal in only 10 of them, most of which are in the eastern states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and to some extent in Orissa. Hydropower generating capacities across the 36 reservoirs is more than 60 megawatt. In total, as on September 23, water level in 81 major reservoirs across the country was at a healthy 115 billion cubic centimetres, 126% of last year?s storage and almost 117% of the average of last 10 years.
The June-September southwest monsoon season has been extraordinary this year. Till Wednesday, the country has received 4% more rainfall than normal, with northwest India?comprising the major grain-growing states of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh?receiving almost 16% more rainfall than normal. Rainfall in southern India was 19% more than normal in central India, where rains were 6% more than normal. In eastern India, rains were 17% below the normal.
