Crossed 200 tmcft mark 10 times in 49 years

Kushalnagar: The Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam at Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district has broken a couple of records this year, thanks to bountiful rains in the catchment areas and also in the surrounding areas where the Dam is located.

After 60 years, the inflow to the Dam has recorded a total inflow of 293.884 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) in 2022-2023 in 150 days. An unbroken record of 442 tmcft was reported in 1962 and it took 60 years for the Dam to reach 293.884 tmcft. The Dam has the capacity of storing 49.5 tmcft and the maximum level is 124.80 ft.

According to the data provided by the officers from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) that maintains all the reservoirs in the Cauvery Basin and the data provided by Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), after the Dam was opened in 1932, it was in the year 1959 that the highest inflow of 343 tmcft was recorded. This record was broken in 1962 when the inflow reached 442 tmcft and it remains unbroken till now.

In another record of sorts, from 30.10.2021 when the Dam reached 124.80 ft till 30.10.2022, the water level in the Dam has been maintained at a comfortable level without sending any alarming signals for one whole year.

Crossed 200 tmcft 10 times in 49 years

Data from CNNL says that from 1973-1974, the total inflow to the Dam crossed the 200 tmcft mark only 10 times in 49 years. In 1975-1976, the Dam reported an inflow of 255.885 tmcft, in 1978-1979, the Dam recorded 245.378 tmcft, in 1980-1981 it recorded 253.485 tmcft, it recorded 219.875 tmcft in 1981-1982, 219.363 tmcft in 1992-1993, 231.096 tmcft in 1994-1995, 235.561 tmcft in 2007-2008, 203.145 tmcft in 2009-2010, 243.723 tmcft was recorded in 2018-2019 and lastly, 293.884 tmcft was recorded in 2022-2023.

What contributed to the Dam to achieve a total cumulative inflow of 293.884 tmcft that was recorded in 2022-2023 is that it rained heavily and relentlessly both in catchment area (Kodagu) and also in the area where the Dam is located. Also, it rained heavily in Mysuru and in the downstream of Mandya and Ramanagara districts and as such, the groundwater level is high and has been recharged well.

“As the groundwater level is high due to continuous rainfall in the Cauvery belt, the water absorption is less and even the farmers including the tail-end ones have water and this year there was no necessity of releasing water for crop cultivation,” said CNNL officers.

Kodagu and Mysuru rain data

Rainfall wise, 2022 was bountiful as during Southwest Monsoon from June 1 to Sept. 30, Kodagu received 2,369 mm as against a normal rainfall of 2,188 mm — 8 percent high rainfall. Taluk-wise, Madikeri received 3,407.1 mm as against a normal rainfall of 2,738.4 mm — 24 percent higher rainfall; Somwarpet received 1,790.8 mm as against a normal rainfall of 1,652.5 mm — 8 percent high while Virajpet taluk received 1,779.1 mm as against a normal rainfall of 1,920.8 — 7 percent deficit rainfall.

In October 2022, Kodagu recorded 176 mm as against a normal rainfall of 182 mm, a 3 percent deficit rainfall.

During the Southwest Monsoon from June 1 till Sept. 30 2022, it rained 653 mm in Mysuru as against a normal rainfall of 419 mm, reporting a 56 percent increase. Continuing the rainfall spell, in October 2022, it rained 237 mm as against a normal rainfall of 134 mm, an increase of 78 percent. From Jan. 1 till Oct. 28, it rained 1,247 mm in Mysuru as against a normal rainfall of 757 mm, a 65  percent increase.