BENGALURU: The inflow to Karnataka's reservoirs, which used to be generated after the saturation of catchments by June-end or the first week of July, has begun in May itself for the first time, according to the former director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Dr G S Srinivas Reddy.
This follows the 105.5 per cent excess pre-monsoon rains this year (March 1, 2022, to May 31, 2022), which is the highest in the state in the last 50 years.
The water levels in all 13 major reservoirs of the state have come up by 56.64TMC in the last two weeks of May, and they have increased from 246.22 TMC on 16 May to 302.86 TMC on 31 May (last year on 31 May there was 243.85 TMC water in those reservoirs). Usually, after the ground in the catchment area is saturated with southwest monsoon rains, the runoff water is used to reach the dam through the river by June end or July beginning.
The state has received an average of 236.5mm pre-monsoon rainfall, as against normal rainfall of 115.1mm. South interior Karnataka has received 105.1 per cent excess pre-monsoon rainfall, that is, it has received an average of 282mm as against normal rainfall of 137.5mm. North interior Karnataka has received 92.6 per cent excess pre-monsoon rainfall, that is, it has received an average of 151.8mm as against normal rainfall of 78.8mm. Malnad region has received 117.4 per cent excess pre-monsoon showers, that is, it has received an average of 354.4mm of rainfall as against normal rainfall of 163mm. The coastal region has received 118.2 per cent excess pre-monsoon rainfall, that is it has received an average of 339.9mm as against normal rainfall of 155.8mm, according to KSNDMC sources.
On May 16 Linganamakki, Supa and Varahi reservoirs had 66.46 TMC water and on 31 May, they had 73.94 TMC. Water at Harangi, Hemavathi, KRS and Kabini reservoirs in the Cauvery basin increased from 56.41 TMC on 16 May to 63.96 TMC on 31 May. And Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Almatti and Narayanpura reservoirs in the Krishna basin had 123.35 TMC on 16 May, and it increased to 164.95 TMC on 31 May.
"For the first time, we are recording such good storage in Cauvery basins even after Summer. And several small reservoirs including Yagachi dam in Hassan district, Suvarnavathy dam in Chamarajnagar are already full," Srinivas Reddy said.
Box: Meanwhile at last by the end of the water year (June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022) the state has released 101 TMC of excess Cauvery water that is, it has released 278 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamilnadu, while it was supposed to release 177.25 TMC for the entire water year as per the final order of Cauvery water dispute tribunal, according to KSNDMC sources.