BENGALURU
Karnataka is facing a worrying water shortage as major reservoirs in both the Cauvery and Krishna river basins record lower storage volumes than last year. Recent data released by the Water Resources Department shows that weak monsoon inflows have left several vital dams half-empty, raising serious concerns for farming and drinking water security.
In the Cauvery basin, the key Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam in Mandya district currently holds 31.47 tmc of water, which is roughly 63 percent of its total capacity. This is a sharp drop compared to last year when the reservoir stood near full at 98 percent. Other catchment areas like Hemavati and Kabini have also seen their storage levels decline to 81 percent and 67 percent respectively. Only Harangi has bucked the trend, remaining steady at nearly 98 percent capacity.
The situation is equally tense across the Krishna river basin in North Karnataka. The Malaprabha reservoir has plunged to 60 percent capacity with just 22.52 tmc of stored water, down heavily from the 96 percent recorded during the same period last year. Meanwhile, the Bhadra dam in Shimoga has dropped to 84 percent. However, a few major structures like Almatti and Tungabhadra remain in a comfortable position, holding strong at 99 percent and 90 percent storage due to localized water movements.
Water management experts point out that poor rainfall and sluggish inflows are the main reasons behind this statewide drop. With less water entering the systems than last year, local farming communities are growing anxious about upcoming crop cycles. Authorities are keeping a close watch on daily updates to manage distribution carefully.