Dams in Karnataka filled to the brim due to torrential rain

Most of the dams in Karnataka are filled to the brim, thanks to the torrential rains in the catchment areas of the major rivers for the past few days. The coastal and Malnad region in the Western Ghats have been receiving incessant rains for the past 15 days due to which many rivers originating from here are in spate.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the inflow of water in the Cauvery basin was 98,577 cusecs while the outflow was 70,645 cusecs. The KSNDMC said the cumulative outflow since June 1, was 118.25 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet, while the outflow was 41.52 TMC ft. The Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam with a reservoir level of 124 ft presently has 123.2 ft water. As on Monday,22 July’ the inflow was 60,016 cusecs and outflow 52,020 cusecs.

Other dams in the Cauvery basin namely Harangi, Hemavathi and Kabini are also filled to the brim.

The rains in the Cauvery basin have been received at a time when Karnataka was worried with the scanty rainfall and was gearing up for a legal battle with neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had directed Karnataka to release one TMC ft water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu till July-end.

The Chief Minister convened an all-party meeting on July 14 saying that it will not be able to meet the direction and was preparing to approach the Cauvery Water Management Authority with a request that it will release 8,000 cusecs water and not 11,500 cusecs water, which is one TMC.

After visiting the KRS Dam, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar who holds the Water Resources portfolio, said the CWRC had directed the state to release 20 TMC water starting from July 11 till month-end.

“The rain God is merciful to us and Mother Cauvery is flowing gently. Already 30 TMC water has flown to Biligundlu in Tamil Nadu at the Karnataka border. Our dams are completely full and we are releasing water,” Shivakumar said..He also said that 51,000 cusecs water is being released to Tamil Nadu.

In a normal year, we have to release 40.14 TMC ft of water. Karnataka will be able to release the requisite water to Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar said. This apart, channels will be opened to fill 1,657 tanks in the Cauvery basin.

Dams in the Krishna river basin namely Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Almatti and Narayanapura are almost filled up and water is being released from these dams.