Owing to deficient rainfall in the State, particularly in the catchment areas of two major reservoirs, the State government has decided against releasing water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Tungabhadra (TB) dam for paddy cultivation during the ongoing kharif season.
A State Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Wednesday decided that water from the two reservoirs would be released only for drinking purpose. It was decided to take up cloud seeding to offset the deficient rainfall. Storage in both the reservoirs has not touched even the halfway mark and farmers have been told to take up paddy cultivation depending on the rain.
With the Southwest monsoon being 24 per cent deficient up to now (from June 1 to August 8) in Malnad area, the storage in reservoirs in the Cauvery basin is low when compared with last year, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told presspersons after the meeting.
503 mm rainfall
The State has received 503 mm rainfall against the normal 537 mm till August 8. As on August 10, the storage level in the KRS was 20.99 tmcft as against its capacity of 49.45 tmcft. The storage level in the corresponding period last year was 28.37 tmcft. Inflow into the KRS was at the rate of 9,603 cusecs against the outflow rate of 7,880 cusecs.
The storage level in the TB dam was 46.91 tmcft as against its capacity of 100.86 tmcft. The storage level in the corresponding period last year was 68.12 tmcft. Inflow into the dam stood at 41,604 cusecs against the outflow rate of 7,368 cusecs.
However, there is no shortfall in rain in the catchment areas of the Krishna or water storage level in Almatti and Narayanpur dams built across the river. Irrigation consultative committees have been asked to inform farmers about the shortage in the reservoir levels and appeal to them to not take up paddy cultivation in the Cauvery basin area. Farmers have been told to take up alternative crops that are less water dependent.
Deputy commissioners have been instructed not to grant permission for digging borewells in the wake of declining groundwater level.
