Good rains in many parts of south-interior Karnataka earlier this week have helped increase inflow into the Cauvery basin reservoirs.
Irrigation Department officials, however, do not expect the good inflow to last long as rains have subsided in many parts. The recent rains may increase the inflow for a couple of days, but that is not enough for the reservoirs to reach the brim, an official said.
Despite the good inflow, reservoirs are yet to reach the storage level they registered during the corresponding period last year.
Thanks to the heavy rains that lashed Kodagu and Wayanad (Kerala) on Tuesday and Wednesday, the inflow into the Krishnaraja Sagar in Mandya district was at 15,073 cusecs and Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district at 17,555 cusecs on Friday. The water level in the KRS, which was 78.55 ft on Thursday, rose to 81.2 ft on Friday.
While the inflow into the Hemavati reservoir in Hassan district was recorded at 19,032 cusecs, that in Harangi reservoir in Kodagu was at 8,137 cusecs.
Irrigation Department officials in Mysuru said inflow into the Kabini reservoir, which went up from around 4,000 cusecs on Tuesday to more than 17,000 cusecs on Friday, was expected to dip by Saturday. Unless the catchment area receives more rain, the inflow would reduce, an official said.
After two days of good rains that threw life out of gear in Kodagu, the district recorded 19.49 mm of rainfall on Friday. So far this year, Kodagu has received 1,135.27 mm rainfall as against 1,084.32 mm recorded during the corresponding period last year.
Unlike other regions of south-interior Karnataka, parts of Hassan and Chikkamagaluru continued to receive good rains on Friday also. The inflow into the Hemavati reservoir at Gorur went up as parts of Mudigere and Sakleshpur taluks received heavy rains. The gross storage in the reservoir went up by nearly 2 tmcft in a day and was at 11.19 tmcft on Friday. The inflow rate of 19,032 cusecs recorded on Friday is the highest recorded so far this year.
Roads flooded
Many roads in Mudigere, Sringeri, Koppa, N.R. Pura, and Chikkamagaluru taluks were flooded with rainwater, affecting movement of vehicles. Motorists on Charmadi Ghat in Chikkamagaluru district and Shiradi Ghat in Hassan district had a tough time because of the rains.
