Widespread rain in the past 15 days has helped increase water levels in all major reservoirs in the district.
Except for Amarja, all the reservoirs have reached full capacity, and the authorities have begun releasing water as a precautionary measure, considering the appreciably high inflow.
Sources told The Hindu here on Thursday that the reservoirs were completely full for the first time in several years. Usually the reservoirs only got a good inflow during the rain in September and October; however, full capacity was reached in July itself this year. The district administration sounded a flood warning in villages downstream from the Lower Mullamari Project Dam in Chincholi. The dam is almost full, and the authorities were releasing water into the river for the past two days.
As against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 491 feet, the water level in Mullamari stands at 490.7 ft, as of Thursday.
The water level in Bennethora dam also rose sharply in the past week. As against the FRL of 438.89 ft, the present level is 433.82 ft.
Similarly, the water level in Gandorinala dam has reached 461.1 ft (its FRL is 476 ft).
Sources also pointed out the increase in the water level of the Bhima Lift Irrigation Project in Afzalpur taluk, which has brought smiles to the faces of farmers and residents of villages downstream from the dam. As against its FRL (406.4 ft), the present water level stands at 401.3 ft. Heavy rain in its catchment area has assured a good inflow for the dam.
Chandrampalli Dam in Chincholi taluk is also almost full (the water level is 490.95 ft, FRL 493.16 ft).
However, the 461.5 ft-Amarja dam has yet to register a similar increase in water level; it currently has 448.85 ft of water.
