New Delhi, April 1 (IANS): The water storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as on March 31 was 53.97 billion cubic metres (BCM), or 35 percent of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs, an official statement said on Wednesday.

This storage is 84 percent of the storage of corresponding period in last year and 108 percent of the average storage in last decade.

The present storage position during current year is less than the storage position of last year. But it is better than the storage of average of last ten years, it added.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 reservoirs having hydro power benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 megawatt (MW).

The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61 percent of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country, the statement added.