KRS Dam water level is at 113.40 feet now as against a maximum level of 124.80 feet; expected to rise with continued heavy rains

Mandya: The water level of the KRS (Krishna Raja Sagar) Reservoir in Srirangapatna Taluk of Mandya district crossed 113.40 feet this morning at 8 am, with an inflow of 36,772 cusecs.

Continuous rainfall in the Kodagu district has caused the water level to rise rapidly. If the same rainfall pattern continues for another 10 days in Kodagu, where the River Cauvery originates, the Reservoir will soon reach its full capacity of 124.80 feet.

Currently, the water stored in the dam is 35.282 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) against the maximum capacity of 49.452 tmcft. Initially, there were doubts about whether the Dam would fill up this time due to insufficient monsoon rains, causing concern among farmers.

However, as the days passed and the Cauvery basin and the catchment areas of Kodagu received substantial rainfall, the water level now crossed 113.40 feet. The Reservoir still needs 11.4 feet to be filled.

The water level in the reservoir had significantly decreased earlier, leading to drinking water issues in Bengaluru, prompting the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to impose fines for water wastage.

Ban orders in Hogenakkal

Meanwhile, inflow into Hogenakkal stood at 21,000 cusecs as of Wednesday evening and is anticipated to increase further with an increase in outflow from the KRS and Kabini Reservoirs. This morning, Kabini Dam recorded an outflow of 46,667 cusecs. In response to the increased water flow, Hogenakkal Falls and the Cauvery River have been declared off-limits to tourists. The Dharmapuri District administration in Tamil Nadu, implemented a ban on tourist activity late on Tuesday.

District Collector K. Shanthi stated that the public is prohibited from venturing into the river between Alambadi and Hogenakkal. This ban followed the suspension of coracle operations.

Precautionary measures

Anticipating water release from the KRS Dam at any time following the increased inflow and to prevent any accidents like drowning, a precautionary inspection was conducted on the riverbank under the leadership of Srirangapatna Tahsildar Parashuram Sattigeri, along with the Assistant Executive Engineer of Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) & Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Venu.

During the inspection, awareness was raised about the necessary measures to be taken when the water is released. The officials targeted shopkeepers along the riverbank, villagers, and heads of ashrams.

Plans were discussed and formulated to handle the potential increase in outflow at riverbanks such as Edamuri, Balamuri, Sarvadharma Ashram, Karekura, Gautham Ashram, and Achchappa Koppalu, including measures to prevent public entry and other precautions.

Tahsildar Parashuram Sattigeri emphasised the need for preventive measures to be taken during the increased outflow from the KRS Dam to prevent any dangers at the riverbanks.

Inspections were carried out at previously flood-affected riverbank areas, and necessary steps were discussed and planned. Local villagers were instructed to be informed through the department officials.