The Koyna Dam has recorded an unprecedented surge in water storage, thanks to continuous heavy rainfall in its catchment area throughout June. As of the evening of June 30, the dam has stored 54.49 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water—marking the first time in history that it has reached half of its total capacity during the month of June.
The dam's monsoon year began on June 1, with an initial storage of 22.42 TMC. Over the course of just one month, storage levels rose by 33.65 TMC, pushing the reservoir past the halfway mark of its full capacity, which stands at 105 TMC.
This year's storage is significantly higher than last year’s figure for the same date, when the dam had only 19.79 TMC of water. Moreover, it is 34.37 TMC above the average, signaling one of the strongest early monsoon inflows in recent memory.
In the past 24 hours alone, the Koyna region recorded 98.33 mm of rainfall. The cumulative monsoon rainfall in key locations has also been substantial:
Koynanagar: 1,575 mm
Navaja: 1,354 mm
Mahabaleshwar: 1,469 mm
With water demand currently low and more monsoon rains expected, dam authorities are now focused on flood prevention and regulated discharge to manage reservoir levels effectively. Officials are closely monitoring the situation to ensure public safety in downstream areas.