BENGALURU: BRACING up to tackle yet another drought due to deficient rainfall, CM Siddaramaiah is keen to draw the attention of the Union government to the grim situation in the state.
Siddaramaiah, in a letter to Prime Minister Modi on Thursday, explained in detail the extent of the monsoon failure in the state, available water in reservoirs, especially in the Cauvery basin, and the expected adverse impact on agriculture and power generation.
The state has an overall deficit of over 10 per cent in monsoon rains this year. As for the region-wise monsoon profile in the state, the deficit is much higher in Malnad region, which is the source and catchment area for most of the rivers in Cauvery basin, Siddaramaiah said in the letter.
“The reservoirs, which provide major hydel power to the state have a present storage of only 46-48 per cent of their gross capacities. The low storage levels have also impacted cultivation. Against a targeted 7 lakh hectares of paddy, only 2.42 lakh hectares (35 per cent) is under cultivation. The low storage levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs is also likely to affect the drinking water supply to Bengaluru city,” Siddaramaiah wrote.
Apart from preparing the ground for seeking liberal financial aid from the Union government to face the impending drought, the letter is also being seen as an exercise to protect the state’s interests effectively against the expected demand for Cauvery water from Tamil Nadu.