As storage in dams dips, Centre rings alarm bells (India)

[FarCenter]

An alarming depletion in the water levels (at 57 per cent of last year’s storage) of important reservoirs, owing to the delayed and weak southwest monsoon, has prompted the Central government to issue an advisory to the States on Monday to make “judicious and regulated” releases.

The States have been advised to give preference to drinking water and irrigation and enhance groundwater use to meet current needs.

Top officials said there was a serious concern over the spread and intensity of rain and apprehension that the monsoon might remain weak in parts of the country. Already, there are reports of damage to the kharif crop in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat. A letter from Water Resources Secretary D.V. Singh to the Chief Secretaries urges the States to go in for crops that require less water.

Anxiety is building up as all major reservoirs, barring those in central India, are showing deficient storage. Against the live storage capacity of 154.421 billion cubic metres (BCM), the average storage till July 5 was only 25.191 BCM in the 84 major reservoirs monitored by the Central Water Commission.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3621409.ece?homepage=true

Indian monsoon rainfall is so far significantly below average in much of the country.

[RobertEarl]

1. ya know

If we Americans could live like the common Indian citizen does, we could probably squeeze another 400 million people onto our lands. That would only be 700 million.

But the way we live now would have to change. Maybe make do with about 1/3 as much junk. Think we could do that?

[FarCenter]

2. I'm afraid Americans have become used to plumbing

A large fraction of Indians have no bathrooms or privies and squat in the street.