Karnataka may have stopped discharging water to Tamil Nadu, but the neighbouring State has received at least 2.04 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water since September 20.
Sources at the water measuring station, set up by the Central Water Commission at Biligundlu (inter-State border) in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, say the station had registered an inflow of around 2.04 tmcft of water between September 20 and 28.
Whilst the inflow rate was 9,871 cubic feet per second (cusecs) on September 20, the quantum decreased to 1,190 cusecs on Wednesday, sources told The Hindu .
Kollegal, Male Mahadeshwara Hills, Hanur, Changadi, Ramapura, Arakalavaladi, Bisilavadi, Hogenakkal Falls and some other parts of Chamarajanagar district, and Palar, Thalavadi and other places in Tamil Nadu district on the upstream of Biligundlu had witnessed rain for the last several days, and that had resulted in the increase of flow in the Cauvery in spite of stoppage of water from Karnataka reservoirs, the sources said.
The catchment areas of Cauvery — on the downstream of KRS —and Shimsha, areas in and around Muthathi, Mekedatu and Malavalli also received rain, sources added.
Water discharge to Tamil Nadu was suspended on September 21, as the level at the KRS had plummeted to 85.7 ft against the full-reservoir level of 124.8 ft.
Regulating outflow
According to senior officials at the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd., the reservoir was receiving 3,656 cusecs of water when the personnel at the Regulation Section (Gauging) measured the inflow and outflow quantum at 6 a.m. on Thursday.
“The level was 89 ft and the outflow was 223 cusecs. We have been regulating the outflow to 220 cusecs since September 21,” the officer said. KRS had live storage of 10.95 tmcft, according to data.
Sources say rain in several areas had resulted in the increase of flow in the Cauvery
