New Delhi: The Central Water Commission (CWC) has revealed that southern Indian states are grappling with a severe water crisis due to rising temperatures. According to a bulletin released by the CWC, water reserves in southern Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are significantly below historical averages.

The bulletin, which primarily presents findings on reservoir water levels across India, underscores the acute water shortage in South Indian states.

These five states have water reserves at only 17 percent of their storage capacity. The 42 reservoirs in these states collectively have a storage capacity of 53.334 billion cubic metres. However, recent reports from the CWC indicate that these reservoirs currently hold only 8.865 billion cubic metres of water.

Last year, these water reservoirs contained 29 percent water during this season. Similarly, over the past decade, the average water reserve in these states has been approximately 23 percent (this season).

Furthermore, it has been noted that water reserves in the western and central-northern regions of the country are also on the decline.

However, states like Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal in the eastern region have witnessed an improvement in water reserves compared to last year.