BENGALURU: The delay in monsoon might cost the state dearly. Reservoirs across Karnataka, already at dead storage levels, might be filled up only by August or September, according to experts, provided the monsoon is not delayed any more. A few major reservoirs, in fact, may not reach optimum levels at all, including the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir from which the state releases water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
While monsoon is expected in Kerala around June 1 every year, it reaches Karnataka only a few days later. This year, it arrived seven days late, and is yet to spread across the state. Experts term this an ‘exceptional’ delay. “The KRS which should have been full by the first week of August is still witnessing low levels of water. If we get good showers in the coming days, we can now expect KRS to fill up by the end of August,” said Captain S Raja Rao, Former Secretary, Water Resource Department.
“If we do not have sufficient water here, how can we send it to Tamil Nadu?” he said, adding that even the Kabini reservoir, which usually fills up with two good showers, was not yet full. A senior official from the Water Resources Department said as per directions, the state was obligated to release 9.19 tmcft of water to neighbouring states in the month of June. “Drinking water is the first priority as we have less. With no rain or water in dams, we cannot release water to Tamil Nadu,” the official said.
At Almatti, the dam is dependent on rains in Maharashtra which could mean that the reservoir fills up only by September. “This year, we are doubtful if the Tunga Bhadra reservoir would be filled,” the official said. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), heavy rains are likely in the next three to four days over coastal Karnataka. Places like Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga will also receive moderate to heavy rainfall.
Director G S Srinivasa Reddy said that while monsoon clouds were widespread, the rains were not sufficient to fill up dams. “The showers over the next three days will lead to saturation in the catchment area but will not generate inflows into the dams,” he said.