BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, has said that Karnataka has released 273.426 tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu this year owing to good rains.
Karnataka has to release 177.25 tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court’s order.
“The issue of water sharing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been naturally resolved this year,” Shivakumar said, adding that the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir in Mandya district has reached its full capacity for the third time this year setting a record. The maximum capacity of KRS is 124.8 ft.
Shivakumar said that in the last 93 years, KRS has attained full capacity 77 times. He said that as per the SC order, Karnataka that was to release 177.25 tmcft of water to TN annually, has released an additional 135.41 tmcft this year. Shivakumar also pointed out that the major dams in the Cauvery basin—KRS, Kabini, and Hemavathi dams—are full. With this, 6,576 lakes in the Cauvery basin are full. Along with this, lakes that come under minor irrigation and RDPR departments are also full, he said.
‘No drinking water crisis in Bengaluru this summer’
Shivakumar said Bengaluru will face no drinking water crisis this ensuing summer. Bengaluru needs 31 tmcft of water for drinking purposes anually. As lakes and dams are full, Bengaluru will have sufficient drinking water, he said. Shivakumar also said that from Bidar to Chamarajanagar, Ballari to Kolar, most places have received good rains. “There is no water shortage for people or cattle. There is no problem to take up agriculture work,” he said.
