Relief for Karnataka as excess rains fill reservoirs

In a relief for arid and drought-prone Karnataka, bountiful monsoon rains in catchment areas are filling its reservoirs in the Cauvery, Tungabhadra and Krishna river basins, an official said on Saturday.

"Excess rainfall in the first month of the monsoon season in the state augurs well as reservoirs are getting filled to ensure drinking water supply and for irrigation of kharif crop," the Director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) G.S. Srinivasa Reddy told IANS here.

The water in the reservoirs of Cauvery basin stands at a much better level compared to the last 10 years, Reddy added.

Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district across Kabini river, one of the major tributaries of the Cauvery, has been filled to its maximum capacity of about 17 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) due to excess monsoon rains in the district over the past few weeks since the onset of monsoon on June 4.

The water level in Kabini stood at a mere four TMC during June 2017.

The Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir built across Cauvery river in Mandya district, has also been filled up to about 25 TMC of its 45 TMC total capacity.

The water levels of the reservoir stood at six TMC in June 2017.

Tungabhadra reservoir, across the Tungabhadra river in Ballari district, has been filled up to about 25 TMC of its total capacity of 101 TMC.

The water level in the dam during monsoon season in 2017 was among the lowest in many years as it stood at 0.96 TMC.

Since June 4, districts in the coastal and Malnad region have received excess rains more than 60 per cent of the intended normal, according to the Bengaluru division of India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Districts in the northern part of Karnataka, and surrounding the Bengaluru region, however, still continue to face deficit in rainfall.

"The monsoon currently has subdued activity in the state and we are expecting to see its revival in the next week when Bengaluru and other surrounding districts might receive rains," Reddy added.

--IANS

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