Karnataka Reservoirs Record Sharp Decline in Water Storage Compared to Last Year
Low rainfall has left several major reservoirs with critically reduced water levels despite recent rains in parts of the state.
Bengaluru: Water levels in Karnataka’s major reservoirs remain a cause for concern, even as recent heavy rainfall has improved inflows into some dams in the coastal and Malnad regions.
According to reports, reservoirs such as Linganamakki and Ghataprabha have received more water following the recent spell of rain. However, most other reservoirs across the state continue to face low storage levels due to below normal rainfall.
The Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir on the Cauvery River, which supplies drinking water to Bengaluru and nearby districts, currently holds only 11.49 TMC of water. This is just 23 percent of its total storage capacity of 49.45 TMC.
The Kabini reservoir is also witnessing a similar situation, with water storage standing at only 6.74 TMC. During the same period last year, both the Krishna Raja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs were nearly full.
In North Karnataka, inflows into the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs on the Krishna River have also remained lower than expected.
Since June 1, Karnataka has received only 165 millimetres of rainfall against the seasonal average of 249 millimetres, reflecting a rainfall deficit of 34 percent.
The India Meteorological Department has, however, forecast good rainfall across the state by the end of the week, raising hopes that reservoir levels may improve in the coming days.