A serious drinking water problem is looming large over Bengaluru and other Cauvery dependent areas as the storage in Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir (KRS) has dropped to “below dead storage” level.
The water level in the reservoir was 69.55 feet, as against the maximum level of 124.8 ft., on Tuesday morning. The dead storage level of the reservoir near Srirangapatna is 74 ft. and it is not advisable to pump water once the level drops to 68 ft., according to Irrigation Department officials.
Alternative plan
The authorities are thinking of alternative possibilities, including implementing water rationing or releasing water from Harangi of Kodagu or Hemavati of Hassan district, to tackle the situation.
Pumping water from the reservoir, when it has dipped to 68 ft. would affect the safety of the reservoir, besides the impact on the ecological system in the region, said an official at Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL). According to the officials, the ‘live storage’ in the KRS was just 2.48 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, as against the maximum live storage of 45.051 tmcft.
A similar situation arose last year when the water level stood at 68.6 ft. on May 22, 2017. The reservoir is the major drinking water source for Mysuru and Bengaluru.
