Water reservoirs in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh are doing much better than last year, according to The Hindu.
The latest data show that reservoirs in the region are at 81.37% of total capacity. By comparison, at the same time last year, the reservoirs were only 73.55% full. One report says these levels are the highest they've been in 20 years.
Other reservoirs in the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have enjoyed similar rises in water levels recently.
The additional water is thanks in no small part to the unseasonably strong monsoons. While the water is good news for a region that has faced water security challenges, the weather has also severely disrupted agriculture across India.
Droughts have been exacerbated by atmospheric pollution of all kinds, creating water shortages for many vulnerable populations. Despite this and other dangers that destructive climate shifts pose to residents, India's pollution targets and actions have been rated as "highly insufficient" by some. It's an unsurprising rating given the country's continued support of coal power generation. That said, India has still made strong headway in renewable energy generation.
Reservoir levels in Andhra Pradesh may be doing well, but farmers are unlikely to be getting enough water for planting winter crops. They've been denied the request for support during this rabi season for several years.
"This year, too, water is not likely to be released for rabi as there will be no storage by January," said a local water engineer, per The New Indian Express. "Due to power generation at the Srisailam project, water levels tend to decrease, and the Nagarjuna Sagar project maintenance is under the joint control of the Telangana and Andhra governments. So, there shall be no clarity on water release for rabi."
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