Kharif sowing in most crops, barring cotton, is trailing compared with the corresponding period last year as the water storage has dropped to zero in at least nine of the 85 important reservoirs in the country.

Besides, the storage level in three other reservoirs is below 10 per cent of capacity.

According to the Agriculture Ministry data, sugarcane, rice and oilseeds have been affected the most.

A Central Water Commission data showed that Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the worst affected by the poor water level.

In Tamil Nadu, the level is 88 per cent lower than the normal storage, while it is 47 per cent lower than normal in Andhra Pradesh.

This explains for the poor progress in kharif rice sowing. Till now, rice has been sown on 3.53 lakh hectares against 4.2 lakh hectares during the same period a year ago.

A 27 per cent lower than normal storage level in Maharashtra is seen as the reason behind slack planting in sugarcane.

Sugarcane acreage is trailing at 41.24 lakh hectares against 46 lakh hectares during the same period a year ago.

Oilseeds acreage is down by almost half at 38,000 hectares against 69,000 hectares a year ago. This could mean that summer groundnut crop could be lower. Sowing in other oilseeds such as soyabean, the main kharif crop, begins after initial monsoon showers lash the country.

Cotton has been planted on 11.86 lakh hectares against 10.4 lakh hectares a year ago. Most of the coverage has come in from North India. Sowing in jute and mesta is also lower.

The Central Water Commission data showed that currently, the 85 reservoirs have a water storage level that 21 per cent of the 154.87 billion cubic metres capacity.

Last year, the level was 20 per cent and in the last 10 years, the average level has been 19 per cent.

subramani.mancombu@thehindu.co.in

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