MADIKERI:Harangi reservoir has recorded the lowest water storage in the last three decades during the second week of July. The reservoir has a full storage capacity of 8.5tmcft, of which 0.427tmcft is dead storage. On Sunday, the reservoir recorded a water level of 2,836.75 feet with the storage of 3.9tmcft.
The reservoir’s maximum water level is 2,859 ft and it recorded an inflow of 1,288 cusecs while the outflow was 4,585 cusecs during the same day last year.
The same day last year, the storage was 5.99tmcft and during 2015 the storage recorded was 6.67tmcft. The record low water storage is worrying farmers in the region. The reservoir has left bank and right bank canals with lengths of 153km and 137km respctively.
The reservoir provides irrigation facility to 1.35 lakh acres in Arakalagud, Hassan, Periyapatna, Somwarpet , Hunsur, and KR Nagar taluks. The reservoir has a catchment area of 419.5 sq kilometres which is facing scanty rainfall this year.
Since 1987, the reservoir has had a water storage above 7tmcft during this time except 2015 and 2016. CNNL EE Dharmaraju told Express on Sunday that only once, that too thirty years ago, the reservoir had recorded the lowest storage, that too because the reservoir construction completed in 1982. The reservoir contributes at least 30-35tmcft of water to the state while it is designed to yield 40tmcft annually.
Though the Meteorological Department predicted normal rainfall this year, people suspect the reliability of IMD because last year too the state faced drought and this year the situation does not seem to be much different.K N Ningappa, a small farmer in Madalapura, said that shortage of rainfall posed threat to irrigation in October-November months. He said farmers would be in severe distress if rain plays truant this year too.