KRS, Kabini Dams full

• CM to offer Bagina at both reservoirs on July 29
• 50,000 to 80,000 cusecs water to be released today

Mandya: The KRS Dam across River Cauvery in Srirangapatna Taluk of Mandya District reached its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 124.80 ft yesterday, bringing cheer to people.

The full level is being maintained by Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to offer traditional Bagina to River Cauvery at KRS Dam on July 29 (Monday). Initially, the CM, along with Deputy CM and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, was scheduled to offer Bagina on July 27 (Saturday).

As per the updated schedule, the CM will arrive in Mysuru tomorrow (July 26) evening and participate in various events. On July 29, he will offer Bagina at KRS at 11 am. CM’s entourage will then proceed to Kabini to offer ‘Bagina’ there in the afternoon.

Thanks to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Kodagu, there has been a steady inflow to Dam, reaching its maximum capacity of 124.80 ft. at 8 pm yesterday. The storage level stood at 48.475 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) against the gross capacity of 49.45 tmcft.

On July 24, 2023, KRS level was 95 ft and storage was 19.14 tmcft. This morning, CNNL Executive Engineer issued a press release stating that 50,000 to 80,000 cusecs of water will be released from KRS. The press release also warned residents in low-lying areas to move to safer locations.

During the peak summer months of April and May, concerns about drought arose as the storage levels in the KRS Dam had dropped significantly, causing severe water crises in Mysuru, Mandya, and Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu (TN) persistently demanded its share of water legally, despite the critically low levels in the KRS and Kabini Dams.

The initial days of South West Monsoon brought inadequate rainfall despite promising forecasts. However, rains picked up after June 20, bringing substantial inflow to Harangi Dam in Kodagu, Kabini Dam in H.D. Kote and KRS Dam in Mandya.

By July 15, the reservoirs reached comfortable levels and the water levels continued to rise, with KRS Dam reaching its maximum capacity yesterday. Similarly, Harangi and Kabini Dams are now full. In H.D. Kote, along with Kabini, Nugu Dam is also full while Taraka Dam is yet to fill.

The water level at Kabini Dam this morning stood at 2,282.22 ft, just below its maximum level of 2,284 ft. The gross storage capacity of the dam is 19.52 tmcft, with an available storage of 18.37 tmcft. Due to continuous inflow, the Dam level is maintained two feet below the maximum level considering the structural safety. On the day of Bagina, the Dam authorities will maintain the maximum level.

CWMA meeting

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has received a relatively higher quantum of Cauvery water so far in the current water year (June 2024-May 2025). During its meeting yesterday, TN urged the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to ensure that Karnataka supplies 45.95 tmcft in August.

As a result, the CWMA decided to convene a meeting of Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on July 30. The amount specified by TN aligns with the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007, which was modified by the Supreme Court in 2018.

According to data from Central Water Commission (CWC), as of July 23, TN had received about 39 tmcft at Biligundlu on the inter-State border since the beginning of the water year on June 1. Of this, approximately 26 tmcft was received between July 19-23, giving the State around 7 tmcft more than its allotted share.