The storage in Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Srirangapatna has lessened by 3.075 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) since October 25, as the rains kept away from the catchments of the Cauvery in Kodagu district and owing to releasing of water for farming activities.
The reservoir level has also come down by 2.88 feet during the same period.
Statistics from the Irrigation Department show that the live storage and levels were 27.558 tmcft and 114 ft. respectively on October 25. Nevertheless, the live storage and the level have plummeted to 24.483 tmcft and 111.12 ft. as of 6 a.m. on Monday.
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The monsoon has weakened in the catchments of Cauvery over the last 15 days. Water has been released from KRS into canals to save standing semi-arid crops along the course of Cauvery and its canals. Thus, the storage and the level of KRS have been declining since October 25, the department sources said.
On Monday morning, the reservoir, the main source of water for several districts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, was getting water at the rate of 2,748 cubic feet per second (cusecs). The outflow quantum was at the rate of 455 cusecs to the river and 3,556 cusecs to various canals.
If the discharge continues at this rate and rain keeps away, the KRS level will reach 100 ft. by November 10, sources added.
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At 6 a.m. on Monday, the gross storage capacity was 32.862 tmcft, as against the full gross storage capacity of 49.452 tmcft. The maximum live storage is 45.051 tmcft.
The full reservoir level of KRS is 124.80 ft. The level was 81.92 ft on the same day last year.
The reservoir has not attained the maximum level since 2013 owing to scanty rainfall.