Panaji: Every year, by mid-May, as summer enters its last leg, the reservoirs in the state start showing signs of rejuvenation, as heavy pre-monsoon showers begin pounding Goa. However, this year, even as the pre-monsoon showers have begun, the reservoirs have not yet shown signs of rejuvenation.Water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar said that the storage in the reservoirs is sufficient to meet the state’s requirement until mid-June, in case the arrival of the monsoon is delayed.Meanwhile, Goa has begun witnessing its strongest pre-monsoon activity of the season only over the last few days. This has kept the water levels in the reservoirs low.Water levels in the Selaulim dam — the raw water storage for most of South Goa — stand at 32%. By this time in 2025, intense spells of pre-monsoon rainfall had taken the levels up to 41%.Over the coming days, parts of Goa are expected to receive intense spells of light to moderate pre-monsoon rainfall and this could help improve the reservoir storage.The Anjunem reservoir in Sattari is recorded to be 17% full, as against 20% by this time last year.Water levels in Amthane reservoir — which serves Bardez and parts of Pernem and Bicholim — stand at 55%. But this is unrelated to the pre-monsoon showers as water from the river had been pumped to up levels at this reservoir, catering to one of the most densely populated areas of the state.Levels in the Tillari reservoir in Dodamarg, Maharashtra, are currently at 35%, which acts as back-up supply for Bardez, Bicholim, and Pernem talukas.Despite the WRD minister’s assurances, residents of various parts of Pernem have reported severe drinking water shortages, especially in the coastal belt of the taluka. At 42% and 45% water levels in Chapoli and Gaunem reservoirs in Canacona taluka, the region is the only one where dams have started rejuvenating as early pre-monsoon showers were experienced in the area.The Panchwadi reservoir, which caters to Shiroda and surrounding areas, has its water levels down to 27%.Goa has over 300 bandharas from which water is tapped to meet the shortages during the summer months. However, the reservoir storage in Goa is meant to suffice from Oct this year to May next year until the 2027 monsoon arrives.
