Kabini dam level rises, Bengaluru water woes ease

MYSURU: THE onset of monsoon in Kerala’s Wayanad region has led to the water level at the Kabini reservoir going up to seven feet, helping the drinking water needs in Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The water level at the Kabini reservoir had fallen to an all-time low, touching rock bottom, at less than 2 tmcft in dead storage, which is not enough to meet the drinking water needs of cities and towns in the Cauvery basin.

Irrigation officials had stored the water, to meet the eventuality of a delay in arrival of the monsoon.
Though Kerala has been receiving scanty rain for the last couple of days, a heavy downpour in the last week increased the inflow, which caused the Kabini reservoir level to go up.

However, the inflow has reduced to 600 cusecs from the last couple of days, and will only increase if there are good rains in Wayanad.

The Kabini water level that had fallen to 2,243 ft against a maximum of 2,284 ft has shot up to 2,249.75 feet, while the reservoir level was 2,242.10 feet during the corresponding year.

The water level at the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir (KSR) has not seen considerable increase as it has remained the same at 63.93 ft for the past 12 days.

The inflow is 1,296 cusecs and outflow is 1,077 cusecs, while the water level was 72.92 ft during the previous year.

Rains in Kodagu district can  improve the reservoir levels and bring back cheer to farmers in Mandya district, said sources.

However, a dry spell and scanty rains for more than a week in parts of Mysuru and Mandya districts has also worried farmers.

Irrigation officials have released water from the KRS for more than one month, as the Irrigation Department has supplied Kabini water to Bengaluru.

Farmers in Periyapatna, Hunsur and H D Kote and parts  of Nanjangud taluk have completed sowing of cotton, and are looking to the skies for rains, that will lead  to germination of seeds.

Any delay in monsoons will adversely hit germination, and put farmers in trouble.

Farmers in Mandya who had given up cultivation for the past two years due to low reservoir  levels and monsoon failure,started farming activities with hopes of a better monsoon, but the district which received good rains in May has failed to get the same in June.