Maharashtra dams hold higher water amid El Niño
- State officials reported that dams across Maharashtra currently hold significantly more water than at this time last year. - Combined storage stood at about 653.63 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) according to the state cabinet update. - Chief Minister urged conservation amid El Niño concerns, signaling caution despite improved reservoir levels (hindustantimes.com).
Maharashtra’s dams are holding more water than they did a year ago, but the state government is still warning residents to conserve it. (hindustantimes.com) Officials told the state cabinet on April 22 that reservoirs across Maharashtra held 653.63 thousand million cubic feet of water, or 653.63 TMC. That was 101.77 TMC higher than the 551.86 TMC recorded at the same time last year. (hindustantimes.com) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said departments should enforce strict water planning and conservation measures so drinking water lasts through the end of August 2026. He gave the direction at a cabinet review after officials flagged possible rainfall disruption from El Niño. (indianexpress.com) El Niño is a warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that can shift wind and rainfall patterns far beyond the ocean itself. United States government climate agencies say the pattern often disrupts normal rainfall across the tropics and can weaken monsoon rains over India. (climate.gov) India’s weather office said on April 13 that the 2026 southwest monsoon is likely to be below normal at 92% of the long-period average. The India Meteorological Department also said El Niño conditions could weaken rainfall, even though other climate factors may offset part of that effect later in the season. (thehindu.com) That caution reflects recent history in Maharashtra. By mid-May 2023, live storage in the state’s dams had fallen to 32.93% after a poor monsoon outlook tied to El Niño raised fears of water shortages. (hindustantimes.com) The state has already started asking departments and local bodies to prepare for a weaker rainy season. Earlier this week, Fadnavis told officials to speed up conservation work, coordinate across agencies and plan for below-normal rainfall and heat risks. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) For now, the numbers give Maharashtra a bigger buffer than it had last April. The state government’s message is that a fuller reservoir today does not remove the risk of a thinner monsoon in the months ahead. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
