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India's Water Reserves at a 10-Year Low
સમાચારમાં કેમ?
Reservoirs at 70%, a ten-year low: the water-security indicator GS-III Environment expects you to explain
India's reservoir storage was reported at 70% of capacity, its lowest level in 10 years, raising water-security concerns.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type

What you need to know
2 મિનિટ
India's water reserves were recently reported at 70% of live storage capacity, their lowest level in a decade.
Reservoir storage is tracked through data compiled on major dams and water bodies across the country, and is a key indicator of water security ahead of the dry season.
A shortfall of this scale has implications for irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation in the months ahead.
સ્રોત: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
મુખ્ય તથ્યો
Remember these
- India's reservoir storage was reported at 70% of live storage capacity, the lowest in ten years
- Storage is tracked through data compiled on major dams and water bodies across the country
- Reservoir levels are a key indicator of water security ahead of the dry season
- A shortfall affects irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation
- Live storage capacity is the volume of water a reservoir can actually release above its dead storage level
પ્રિલિમ્સ · મેઇન્સ
How the exam will ask it
પ્રિલિમ્સ
- Live storage capacity of a reservoir refers to the water that can be drawn for use, excluding dead storage.
- Reservoir storage data is compiled for major dams and water bodies and serves as an indicator of water security.
- Low reservoir storage can affect irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation.
મેઇન્સ
GS-III (Environment; water resources management) and GS-I/III (agriculture, energy). Falling reservoir storage threatens irrigation, drinking water and hydropower, so the policy response lies in better reservoir operation, demand-side efficiency in irrigation, groundwater recharge and watershed management. The way forward is early-warning based water budgeting, crop-water planning and integrated basin-level management.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
India's water reserves, monitored through data on major reservoirs, were recently reported at 70% of live storage capacity — their lowest level in how many years?
- Five years
- Seven years
- Ten years
- Fifteen years
જવાબ જુઓ
જવાબ: C — Correct: Ten years — India's reservoir storage was reported at 70% of capacity, its lowest level in a decade. • Five years, Seven years — wrong: both understate the period. • Fifteen years — wrong: overstates the period reported.
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