KRS level up 8 feet, Kabini fills up

After the Harangi reservoir in Kodagu district, Kabini in H D Kote taluk of Chamarajanagar district became the second reservoir under the Cauvery basin to reach its full capacity.

With heavy rains in the catchment areas of Wynad in Kerala, inflow into the Kabini reservoir has gone up considerably. Water is expected to be discharged this evening from the reservoir, where water level is maintained around two feet below capacity on safety grounds. Water released from right and left bank canals benefits over 100,000 acres. Meanwhile, with heavy rains continuing to lash catchment areas in Kodagu, the chief Cauvery reservoir at Krishnarajasagar (KRS) in Mandya district is recording heavy inflow. Water level has increased over eight feet in the last 24 hours. Crossing 80 feet, water level had reached 87.77 feet this noon, against 79.66 feet yesterday.

 

Inflow to KRS was recorded at 32,556 cusecs this noon, against 1,859 cusecs yesterday. Some 481 cusecs of water is being released from the reservoir. Besides, water released from Harangi reservoir, downstream rivers are yielding copious flows into the reservoir, cheering the farmers of the irrigated area. Heavy rains continuing in Kodagu, Hassan and Wynad areas, considerable inflow into the reservoirs is expected to continue. People in the low-lying areas of Kabini have already been warned of flash floods. While floods in the Cauvery has taken one toll of a 45-year-old man in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu, reports of houses being damaged have also come in. Traffic is affected at some places.

Water level in the Kabini reservoir was maintained at 2,282 feet, two feet below its maximum storage capacity on Wednesday also.

Around 19,250 cusecs of water was being discharged from the reservoir. Discharged Kabini waters will flow down to Tamil Nadu. Water level in Harangi in Somwarpet stood at 2856.41 feet this afternoon, with an inflow of 6,380 cusecs and outflow of 4,500 cusecs. Its maximum level is 2,859 feet.

Harangi irrigates around 130,000 acres.