The Central Water Commission's alarming report has revealed that the water in 13 rivers of the country has completely run out. The storage of Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus, Pennar, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Godavari, Mahanadi, and Kaveri is receding faster than the previous year.
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River Ganga has caused the most concern. The river flows through 11 states and supplies water for agriculture and drinking water to 2.86 lakh villages along the banks. There are a total of 150 important reservoirs like rivers and lakes in India. These reservoirs now have only 36 percent water left. Of these, 86 reservoirs have 40 percent water storage. The commission has released the data for March 28. Most of these reservoirs are in the southern states, of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The country's rivers are not only lifelines but also helpful for transport and power generation. These rivers lead to social and economic development. The commission has live data on the basins of 20 of the country's most important rivers. Of these, 12 rivers have less water than last year. The east-flowing rivers such as the Cauvery, and Pennar, and rivers in the Kanyakumari area have been the worst hit.
The Ganga has less than half of its capacity. The depletion of Ganga water will affect agriculture. Agriculture accounts for 65 percent of the Ganga basin. 46 percent of the land depends on Narmada, 56 percent on Tapi, 34 percent on Godavari, and 49 percent on Mahanadi.
The rivers Rushikulia, Varaha, Bahuda, Vanshdhara, Nagavali, Sarda, Tandav, Eluru, Gundlakamma, Tammileru, Musi, Paleru and Muneru are completely depleted. These rivers irrigate 86,643 square kilometers of land. According to IIT Gandhinagar, many areas are reeling under an extraordinary drought.