Mysore/Mysuru: Heavy rainfall in Kodagu district, the catchment area of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, has triggered a sharp rise in reservoir levels, now nearing full storage capacity. In response, authorities have begun releasing surplus water into the Cauvery River, with the outflow increasing steadily.

At 8 am today (Aug. 18), the cumulative outflow was 47,000 cusecs, which rose to 70,000 cusecs by 10 am and 80,000 cusecs by 11 am.

At noon, the water release was stepped up from 80,000 cusecs to 1,20,000 cusecs, and officials have cautioned that the volume may be stepped up further depending on inflow conditions.

A flood warning has been issued for residents living along both banks of the Cauvery and in low-lying areas.

People are strongly advised to shift to safer locations and take all necessary precautions to protect their lives and property.

The alert has been communicated to all departments concerned including Irrigation, Revenue, Fire and Safety, Police, Public Works, Forest, Zilla Panchayat and Taluk-level officers. Emergency measures are being closely coordinated to manage the situation.

A balanced monsoon

This year’s monsoon (May – August) has remained steady, resulting in all major dams in the Cauvery Basin reaching full capacity and releasing water at intervals. From June 2025 onwards, KRS Dam alone has released more than 50,000 cusecs of water on four occasions — once in June, twice in July and once in August — reflecting a well-balanced inflow and outflow cycle.

On June 29, the KRS Dam reported a full capacity of 124.80 ft, and technically, the Dam has been maintaining 100 percent capacity for 50 days (till Aug. 18).

As of 8 am today, the KRS Dam recorded a cumulative inflow of 130.6 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) and a cumulative outflow of 105 tmcft. At Kabini Dam, the cumulative inflow stood at 84.3 tmcft with an outflow of 81 tmcft.

This morning, the water level at KRS Dam stood at 124.54 ft against its maximum of 124.80 ft. While the dam’s full capacity is 49.452 tmcft, today’s storage is 49.089 tmcft, with a live capacity of 40.710 tmcft. At noon, the inflow to KRS Dam was reported at 70,000 cusecs.

Release to TN

As per the Supreme Court and Central Water Commission directions, Karnataka has so far released 185.5 tmcft of water from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs combined to Tamil Nadu. With the annual release fixed at 192 tmcft, the State now needs to release only 6.5 tmcft more to meet this year’s mandate.