Water in KRS nearing dead storage, say officials

Live storage in the reservoir is 2.162 tmcft as against the capacity of 49.45 tmcft

The water level in the Krishnaraja Sagar was 79.44 ft. on Wednesday as against 105.79 ft. on the corresponding day last year.

While the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the State to continue releasing water at the rate of 2,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu till February 7, officials of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL) said water in the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) was nearing dead storage.

The Cauvery basin is facing severe water crisis owing to the failure of rains during both southwest and northeast monsoons. — M.B. Patil, Water Resources Minister According to officials of the CNNL, the live storage (usable water) in the KRS stood at just 2.162 tmcft on Wednesday as against its maximum capacity of 49.45 tmcft. The live storage on the corresponding day last year was 19.319 tmcft. The water level in the KRS was 79.44 ft. on Wednesday as against 105.79 ft. on the corresponding day last year.

The inflow into the KRS was at the rate of 269 cusecs on Wednesday morning. The compliance of the direction would make the reservoir to reach the dead storage level within three days, a senior officer at the CNNL, KRS, told The Hindu .

I admit there is a need to honour the court directive. But courts should also consider the situation on ground. I can only express regret. — H.D. Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister

Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said, “In reality, there is no water in the Cauvery basin reservoirs. The Cauvery basin is facing severe water crisis owing to the failure of rains during both southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon.”

As many as 139 taluks, of the 176 in the State, have been declared drought hit. A majority of the taluks in the Cauvery basin also have been declared drought hit. Cauvery water had not been released for standing crops in both kharif and rabi seasons, CNNL officials said.

The Minister said the State had filed its objections expressing its difficultly to release water as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award owing to severe distress in the basin area. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter on February 7.

Shambhunahalli Suresh, president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Mandya district unit, said the KRRS would convene a meeting on Friday to decide the next course of action following the apex court’s direction.

G. Made Gowda, president of the Mandya Zilla Raitha Hithrakshana Samiti and former MP, expressed his displeasure over the direction and urged the State government to “defy the apex court order”.