The rains that recently battered the catchment areas have resulted in a comfortable storage in all four major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka.
The combined live storage in the reservoirs is 59.09 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) as against their full live storage capacity of 104.55 tmcft. The live storage was merely 6.39 tmcft during the corresponding period last year.
Heavy rains in the catchment areas of Cauvery, Kabini and Hemavati, and a good number of their tributaries have brought good and steady inflow into the water bodies in the last fortnight.
Thus, the total storage in the reservoirs — Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), Kabini, Harangi and Hemavati — is recorded a little more than half of their full capacity, said Irrigation Department officials.
While Kabini reservoir is reaching the full reservoir capacity, 19.8 ft of water is required for KRS to achieve its maximum capacity of 124.8 ft, said sources at the Engineering Regulation Sections of KRS. Harangi and Hemavati reservoirs need 23.49 ft and 20.17 ft of water, respectively, to attain their maximum capacity. The four reservoirs have received nearly 30 tmcft of water since June 14, sources said.
Tamil Nadu quota
According to officials, Karnataka has released its June quota [of 10 tmcft] to Tamil Nadu in the last 15 days. The State has to release 10 tmcft to the neighbouring State as per the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s order on sharing of water. However, the water measuring station at Biligundlu (Karnataka-Tamil Nadu inter-State border), in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, set up by the Central Water Commission, has received more than the stipulated quantum of water, a senior official said. But, he refused to disclose the exact quantum.
Heavy quantum of water is being released from Kabini to Tamil Nadu for the past two weeks, the official added.
For agriculture
The Irrigation Department has been discharging water to canals for the past three days to help farmers take up agricultural activities.
