Photo Source: Wikipedia
Below-normal monsoon may impact water-levels at Bhakra, Ranjit Sagar reservoirs
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 28, 2026: A below-normal monsoon this year could affect the replenishment of water levels in the Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs, with current storage and inflow already lower than the corresponding period last year, according to the latest data.
The water level in the Bhakra Reservoir stood at 1,559.06 feet, down 8.27 feet from 1,567.33 feet recorded on the same date last year. The reservoir’s inflow has also declined sharply to 22,137 cusecs, compared with 43,633 cusecs a year ago, largely due to delayed monsoon rains and reduced snowmelt in the catchment areas.
Officials said additional water has been released from the reservoir to meet irrigation requirements of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during the ongoing paddy season, contributing to the lower water level. While the reduced storage has created additional capacity to accommodate monsoon inflows, a delayed onset of rains and forecasts of 30-40 per cent below-normal rainfall could slow the reservoir’s replenishment.
At the Ranjit Sagar Dam, the water level was 1,653.5 feet, about 4.5 feet lower than last year’s 1,658 feet. The dam recorded an inflow of just 2,006 cusecs, compared with 40,207 cusecs during the corresponding period last year.
In contrast, the Pong Dam recorded a water level of 1,319 feet, higher than last year’s 1,294.8 feet. However, inflows there also remained significantly lower at 5,723 cusecs compared with 40,207 cusecs a year earlier.
According to the latest weekly reservoir storage bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC), live storage at the Bhakra Reservoir stands at 21.84 per cent of its capacity, below the 10-year average of 24.55 per cent. At the Ranjit Sagar Dam, live storage is 35.9 per cent, compared with the long-term average of 42.3 per cent.
The CWC noted that live storage in both reservoirs is lower than the corresponding period last year as well as the average for the past decade, raising concerns over water availability if monsoon rainfall remains significantly below normal.