That India sways to the beat of the monsoons is a well known fact across the country. As the month of May starts, every corner of the country anxiously tracks the progress and updates for the Monsoon, in so many ways the lifeline of this country, and perhaps the biggest unifier for the country’s largest community, its farmers.
This year’s monsoon’s, while still somewhat disappointing for some parts in North India, has been remarkable for South India delivering a water bounty that has not been experienced in decades, in some cases. For the relatively prosperous south, it should be a great opportunity to settle lingering disputes around water, besides taking full advantage of the water by filling its network of storage lakes and ponds. For now, let’s just consider 5 of the biggest indicators that the monsoon has delivered for south India, helping tide over the disappointment of the poor 2017 season.
On July 30, the water level in the dam reservoir touched 2,395 feet against its maximum of 2,403 feet. A meeting headed by the Chief Minister decided to open the gates at 2400 feet, a decision that has subsequently been changed to even earlier, perhaps keeping the dam’s age in mind. Incidentally, this is the first time that the dam will hit its FRL during the South West Monsoon.
e) Collective water storage in major reservoirs is better than the decade average. According to the data released by the central water commission, collective water storage in 51 major reservoirs across the southern states is almost 20% higher than the average storage in these reservoirs over the past decade. As compared to last year, when the monsoon was poor, the storage levels are almost 30% higher now.
In this season of plenty, there are of course questions being raised too, especially by farmers and local bodies in the Cauvery delta, about the lack of fresh water storage infrastructure created in recent years to benefit from a year such as this year. Unfortunately, its too late to change that now, and one can only hope that the monsoon will be suitably benign in the future too. A bigger worry perhaps should be possible risks going forward, as a large period of the monsoons remains to be crossed, and a further intensity in rainfall in the region, especially in Kerala, could catch many people unprepared.
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