The water level at KRS stood at 108.92 ft as against the maximum level of 124.80 ft as of June 14, while it was 86.20 ft on the same day last year. 
| Photo Credit: File photo

The early onset of monsoon in the last week of May has ensured healthy reservoir levels in south-interior Karnataka though the region has witnessed a pause in rains during June.

The four major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin have a cumulative storage of 67% of the installed capacity as of June 14.

The Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), Hemavati, Kabini, and Harangi have a gross capacity of 114.57 tmcft as against which the cumulative storage in these reservoirs was 76.86 tmcft.

This is in contrast to the storage on the same day last year which was 36.07 tmcft, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).

The reservoir level at the KRS was 108.92 ft as against the maximum level of 124.80 ft as of June 14, while it was 86.20 ft on the same day last year.

The difference of almost 22 ft. is owing to the heavy inflow into the KRS, thanks to the early onset of monsoon during May across Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Mysuru and surrounding regions.

100-ft mark

The initial spell of rains in the catchment area of the Cauvery in Kodagu, ensured a continuous inflow into the KRS which breached the 100-ft mark as early as on May 30 this year.

In a normal year, the dam attains the 100-ft mark during July and according to KSNDMC records, the reservoir attained the 100-ft mark on July 5 in 2024, and on July 25, in 2023.

As per the last 35 years record maintained by the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd, KRS had earlier attained the 100-ft mark in May in 2022, thanks to healthy storage from the preceding monsoon.

The Hemavathi reservoir level was 2,907.42 ft as against the maximum level of 2,922 ft and the gross storage was 24.78 tmcft as against the gross capacity of 37.10 tmcft.

At Harangi near Kushalnagar, the reservoir level was 2,851.95 ft as against the maximum level and the storage was 6.35 tmcft as against the gross capacity of 8.50 tmcft.

At Kabini, the reservoir level was 2,276.84 ft as against the full level of 2,284 ft and the gross storage was 15.08 tmcft as against the gross capacity of 19.52 tmcft.

Slowing down in June

Though the region received copious rains during May, the monsoon, so far, has been weak during June. Kodagu, for instance, received 98 mm of rains between June 1 and 14, which is 41% below normal. Chikkamagaluru has received 73 mm during the same period and it is 28% below normal, while Hassan registered 37 mm of rainfall, which is 39% below normal.

Mysuru, which received heavy to very heavy rains during May, received 24 mm of rains between June 1 and 14, 43% below normal. As a result, the rate of inflow into the reservoirs has also declined and it was 2,270 cusecs on Saturday.

However, there are traces of monsoon gaining more vigour in the days ahead in Kodagu and surrounding regions which is expected to augment the flow into reservoirs.