Cumulative outflow from KRS since June 1 crosses 100 tmcft
A recent photo of the KRS.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
The cumulative outflow from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir from June 1 crossed the 100 tmcft mark on Tuesday. The combined outflow from the KRS and the Kabini was 166 tmcft, according to Karnataka Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.
This is almost the entire year’s quota to be released by Karnataka to the lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is stipulated to release 177.25 tmcft during a water year (June 1 to May 31) and heavy rains and floods have ensured the outflow this year.
However, sources in the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. pointed out that this outflow was only from the reservoirs and does not include water accrued to the river in the downstream due to rains and by the tributaries and hence, the quantum of water reaching Biligundlu measuring station on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border would be higher.
Copious rains from the second week of July consequent to the south west monsoon gaining vigour led to a drastic rise in the water levels in the major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in the State resulting in the dams getting filled to the brim by the last week of July.
Though there was timely onset of monsoon in the first week of June, it lost traction and the situation was threatening to turn grim even in the first week of July when the inflow into the KRS was 6,185 cusecs (on July 7).
The cumulative outflow from both the KRS and the Kabini as on July 1 was 2.97 tmcft. It increased marginally to 4.30 tmcft by July 7 and was only 8.96 tmcft by July 14. But from the third week of July, there was a revival of monsoon and the scenario changed. The water level at KRS which was hovering around 104 ft on July 7 began to rise drastically due to increase in the inflow to the reservoir thanks to heavy rains in Kodagu. By July 21, the cumulative outflow from both the KRS and the Kabini was 35.52 tmcft while as on August 1 the outflow from the two dams (from June 1) crossed 134.66 tmcft. Between July 21 and August 1, almost 100 tmcft of water had flown from the two dams.
At present, the outflow is less as there is a reprieve from rains since the last few days. But it was bound to increase in the days ahead as there are fresh signs of monsoon build up in the region, including Kodagu and other areas constituting the catchment area of the Cauvery.
Read Comments
- Copy link
- Telegram
READ LATER
Remove
SEE ALL
PRINT