Water levels in India’s 150 major reservoirs fell to 30% of their total storage capacity, with eastern and southern India seeing levels depleting rapidly owing to the severe heatwave. While 26 reservoirs have 50% of normal water storage capacity, the level in reservoirs of eastern and southern regions has dropped to as low as 39% and 17%, respectively, as per the bulletin released by the Central Water Commission on Thursday. Southern states such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been facing significant shortfalls in water storage with cities like Bengaluru grappling with severe water crises.

The depleting water level could be attributed to lower rainfall and scorching summer caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, (which finally ended on 16 April as per the Australian Bureau of Meteorology), resulting in insufficient rainfall in India, and leading to water scarcity in some regions, besides droughts and prolonged dry periods across Asia.