MAPUSA
Goa's major reservoirs have staged a remarkable recovery after a severely deficient June, with four of the State's seven drinking water dams now holding more than half of their storage capacity.
Yet the return of dry weather in the middle of July has shifted the focus from this year's reservoir levels to a bigger concern: how prepared the State is for increasingly erratic monsoon patterns.
The latest Water Resources Department (WRD) data shows the smaller Gaunem reservoir leading the chart with 73 per cent storage, followed by Amthane at 67 per cent, Chapoli at 55 per cent and Tillari at 53 per cent.
The State's largest reservoir, Selaulim, has climbed to 48 per cent after gaining substantially during the revival of monsoon activity in early July.
The only reservoir still in a vulnerable position is Anjunem, the primary drinking water source for Sattari and Bicholim talukas, where storage stands at just 24 per cent despite the recent rainfall. Panchawadi reservoir has reached around 40 per cent capacity.
The figures underline how a few weeks of good rainfall were enough to reverse what had become an alarming water situation after one of the weakest Junes in recent years. However, engineers say the respite should not be mistaken for long-term security.
The contrast with last year is striking. During the same period in 2025, Tillari had already reached full capacity in the first week of July, while Selaulim had begun overflowing by the end of June. Gaunem and Panchawadi had also overflowed by this time, and Anjunem was holding nearly 73 per cent of its storage.
Officials attribute the difference largely to the delayed onset of the southwest monsoon this year and the prolonged rainfall deficit during June.
Although the first week of July brought widespread rain and significantly improved reservoir levels, rainfall activity has once again weakened over the past several days, reviving concerns about whether the remaining monsoon weeks will be sufficient to fully recharge the State's water sources.
"Half of July and the entire month of August are still left in the monsoon season, and we expect the reservoirs to replenish enough to comfortably meet drinking water requirements through the next summer. At the same time, this is also a reminder that we have to prepare for increasingly unpredictable monsoon behaviour in the coming years," a senior WRD engineer told The Goan.
The official said the government has already initiated several long-term measures to improve water security rather than relying solely on seasonal rainfall.
These include the ongoing construction of the Sal Barrage, restoration and construction of multiple bhandaras (check dams), and projects aimed at retaining more monsoon runoff for drinking water and irrigation.
Climate variability has increasingly become a planning challenge for the State's water managers. In recent years, Goa has witnessed intense spells of rain over short periods interspersed with prolonged dry phases, making reservoir management more complex than under the traditional monsoon cycle.
