BENGALURU: Water Resources Minister M B Patil said the government is ready to use the dead storage in reservoirs to supply drinking water across the state.
Patil told reporters on Thursday they had already taken measures in November to address any potential drinking water crisis.
“All reservoirs have less water, but we do not expect a problem till June. If it does not rain in June, there will be a problem. We will use the dead storage if required,” he said. He also suggested that water boards across the state should consider supplying water on a staggered basis.
On suggestions that the department could use the opportunity of low water level to desilt the dams, Patil said apart from the Tungabhadra dam, the rest have silt below the permissible level.
Karnataka has already received one tmcft of water from Maharashtra and it has also asked for an additional one tmcft from Ujjani dam.
Balancing Reservoirs
The minister said two balancing reservoirs are being planned - one in Navile in Ballari and the other at Mekedatu near Kanakapura. Work is expected to begin on the Navile reservoir next month. It will have a storage capacity of 30-35 tmcft of water. According to the minister, the detailed project report (DPR) of the Mekedatu reservoir, which will store 60 tmcft of water, is ready. They will start seeking approvals from next month, he said.
Water Availability in Major Dams*
KRS 10.10
Kabini 4.49
Tungabhadra 2.68
Almatti 17.67
Narayanpur 13.9
Hemavathi 4.97
Harangi 1.24
* in tmcft