Mysuru: The Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, has maintained a maximum water level of 124.80 feet from Sept. 11, 2024, to Nov. 10 — an impressive 60-day stretch — according to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.

This sustained high level is positive news, ensuring that Mysuru-Mandya and Bengaluru regions are unlikely to face a water shortage, even if 2025 South-West Monsoon arrives late. Additionally, farmers in Srirangapatna and Mandya regions will continue receiving water for irrigation without any break.

Engineers from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL), who manage the Dam, informed Star of Mysore that since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered Bagina at KRS Dam on July 29, the water level has consistently remained at its peak for 104 days.

“We cannot report 100 percent storage capacity because, during the monsoon and other rainy periods, we need to maintain a flood cushion of one to one-and-a-half feet to accommodate incoming water from the catchment areas,” an Engineer from CNNL explained.

104-day record

From July 29 to Nov. 10, the water level has remained at 124.80 feet — 104 days. Although the Dam authorities have maintained a flood cushion level of 123.50 feet, this still qualifies as a maximum level.

This year, 209 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water has flowed into the KRS Dam, with 170 tmcft released downstream. The KRS Dam can hold 49.452 tmcft. Today, the inflow was recorded at 5,944 cusecs, while the outflow was 5,733 cusecs, with both rates being adjusted to sustain Dam’s maximum level.

Farmers in the Srirangapatna and Mandya regions require over 5,000 cusecs of water for irrigation until December. “Since the inflow is currently up to 7,000 cusecs, the excess will be directed towards irrigation. If the inflow drops below 5,000 cusecs, the storage level will gradually decrease, as maintaining the maximum level will no longer be feasible,” sources said.

This year marks an exceptional period for the Dam, maintaining a constant maximum capacity of 124.80 feet — a rare occurrence in comparison to previous years. Although previous years witnessed substantial inflow, officials did not sustain the maximum level consistently.

Despite Karnataka releasing more water to Tamil Nadu than mandated by the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Management Authority, the KRS Dam has managed to maintain its peak water level.

Rainfall data from Jan. 1, 2024

From June 1 to Sept. 30, Mysuru recorded 475 mm of rainfall, surpassing the normal average of 419 mm. Mandya received 351 mm, higher than the normal 316 mm, while Kodagu recorded 2,400 mm compared to the usual 2,188 mm during the same period.

In October, from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, Mysuru registered 131 mm of rainfall against the normal 144.5 mm. Mandya saw 189.5 mm, exceeding the normal 153.6 mm, and Kodagu District recorded 185.3 mm, slightly below the normal 196.8 mm.

Between Jan. 1, 2024 and Nov. 8, 2024, Mysuru accumulated 904 mm of rainfall, exceeding the normal 794 mm. Mandya recorded 776 mm, surpassing the normal 661 mm, and Kodagu received 2,967 mm, above the average 2,668 mm.