Mysuru
Deficient rainfall in the Kabini and Cauvery catchment areas has led to a sharp decline in inflows into the state’s two major reservoirs—Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS). Water storage in both reservoirs continues to remain well below their full capacity, raising concerns over irrigation and drinking water availability.
At 8 a.m. on Monday, the water level in the Kabini Reservoir stood at 2,271.77 ft, against its maximum level of 2,284 ft. On the corresponding day last year, the reservoir level was 2,283.33 ft, indicating a significant decline this year.
The reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 19.52 TMC, while the present storage is 12.56 TMC. More importantly, the live storage has dwindled to just 2.75 TMC, compared to 9.27 TMC on the same day last year.
Kabini is currently receiving an inflow of only 2,818 cusecs, a steep fall from 15,206 cusecs recorded on the same day last year. Only 500 cusecs is being released into the river, while no water is being let into the Left Bank Canal (LBC) or Right Bank Canal (RBC). The reservoir recorded an evaporation loss of 8.19 million cubic feet, and the catchment received 5 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours.
The situation at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Reservoir is also far from encouraging. The water level stood at 92.61 ft, against the maximum level of 124.80 ft.
The KRS reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 49.452 TMC, of which 17.554 TMC is currently stored. The live storage is 9.175 TMC.
The reservoir is receiving an inflow of 828 cusecs, while 2,148 cusecs is being released, including water supplied for canals and drinking water requirements. Since the outflow exceeds the inflow, pressure on the reservoir’s storage continues.
With the southwest monsoon now in full swing, the below-normal storage levels in both major reservoirs have become a matter of concern for farmers, irrigation planners and drinking water authorities. Officials and residents alike are hoping for widespread rainfall in the catchment areas in the coming days to improve the storage position.