MYSURU: The Kabini reservoir is almost full following heavy rain in the Wayanad region of Kerala, shooting up the reservoir level to 2,281.27 ft as against the maximum of 2,284 ft.
With the increase in inflows to 25,685 cusecs, irrigation department officials tracking inflows at the Balavi gauging station on the Karnataka-Kerala borders have increased discharge to 20,000 cusecs. This would be a great relief to Tamil Nadu, which had shot off a letter to the Cauvery Water Management Authority asking it to order Karnataka to release its quota of water for June and July.
The Karnataka government had said that it could not release water because of the scanty rainfall in the state. But with bountiful showers over the last few days in the Kabini and Cauvery catchments, water can now be released.
Boating facilities between DB Kuppe and villages across the border in Kerala have been stopped as the river is flowing over the danger mark. The Bidarahalli bridge in Beechanahalli is also flooded affecting normal life. Authorities have appealed to the people living in low-lying areas to move to safer places as the outflows could be increased anytime.
The heavy rainfall has also hit normal life in villages of HD Kote and Saragur taluks that fall on the fringes of the forest and are situated along the state border.
Meanwhile, heavy rain in Kodagu and Hemavathi catchments has increased the water level at KRS Dam to 103 ft as against the maximum of 124 ft with an inflow of 50,300 cusecs and an outflow of 5,400 cusecs. The inflow is likely to increase further if rain continues in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts. Irrigation Department officials have discharged 20,000 cusecs from the Harangi reservoir.