Poor inflow into the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), built across the Cauvery in the district has caused concern.
The water level in the reservoir near Srirangapatna, which has not attained the maximum level since 2013 owing to scanty rainfall, dipped to 100.42 ft at 6 a.m. on Friday as against the full reservoir level of 124.80 ft. The level was 79.32 ft. on this day last year.
The flow into the reservoir was hovering at the rate of 1,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) till November owing to rains in the catchments of Cauvery. However, the trend in declination of inflow rate started from the second week of December.
According to the statistics available at the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL), the reservoir was getting water at the rate of 549 cusecs on December 15. The flow was at the rate of 391 cusecs on December 20; 391 cusecs on December 25; 291cusecs on January 1; 165 cusecs on January 5 and 187 cusecs on Friday.
The CNNL statistics show that the gross storage capacity and live storage of the reservoir was 23.142 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) and 14.763 tmcft respectively on Friday morning. The full gross storage capacity is 49.452 tmcft, while the maximum live storage is 45.051 tmcft.
Though the level and inflow rate is fast declining, according to the CNNL officials there is no need to panic, so far. But, people should use water judiciously, they maintained.
