Kabini releases 10,000 cusecs, KRS adds 2310 cusecs to Tamil Nadu
Mysuru
The Cauvery basin is witnessing a sharp escalation in water releases, with the Kabini reservoir releasing a massive 10,000 cusecs into the river on Thursday, even as the KRS reservoir near Mandya was releasing around 2,310 cusecs.
The combined outflow from the two key reservoirs has triggered fresh concerns among farmers and water conservationists over the availability of water in Karnataka during the coming months.
According to the reservoir position on Thursday, Kabini stood at 2,282.36 ft against its maximum level of 2,284 ft. The reservoir was receiving an inflow of 8,448 cusecs, while its outflow was significantly higher at 10,000 cusecs.
At KRS, the water level stood at 109.74 ft against the maximum of 124.80 ft. The reservoir was receiving 4,875 cusecs, while about 2,310 cusecs was being released.
The high-volume discharge from Kabini assumes significance as Karnataka is already facing concerns over the uneven monsoon and the need to preserve water for drinking and irrigation requirements in the Cauvery basin.
Farmers have questioned the wisdom of maintaining such heavy releases when the monsoon is yet to stabilise. They fear that continued releases at the present rate could rapidly eat into the live storage of the reservoirs, leaving Karnataka with limited water reserves when the dry season sets in.
The situation is particularly worrying because Kabini’s outflow alone is more than its current inflow, indicating that storage could decline if the trend continues. Any prolonged reduction in inflows could put additional pressure on the reservoirs.
With the Cauvery Water Management Authority directing releases to Tamil Nadu, the latest discharge figures are likely to intensify the political and farmers’ debate in Karnataka over balancing the State’s own water security with downstream obligations.
Water activists have warned that if the reservoirs are depleted now, Karnataka could face a serious water crunch well before the onset of summer.
