Authorities have allayed fears of the possibility of a drinking water scarcity in Mysuru due to failure of monsoon and the low storage levels in dams.
At a meeting convened by Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra in Mysuru on June 30 to take stock of the situation arising out of failure of the monsoon, MCC Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy said that with the current storage levels in the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and the Kabini, drinking water requirements of Mysuru can be met till August 15.
Mr. Reddy said that water at both KRS and the Kabini was not being released into canals for irrigation any more. As many as 19 of the 65 wards of the MCC get water from the Kabini, while the remaining wards receive water from the KRS.
‘’While 100 MLD of water is pumped from Melapura, 60 MLD is pumped from Belagola, 80 MLD from Kabini, and the remaining 15 MLD is from the RBL canal. Even in case there is no rain during the next three months, the existing storage will last till August 15. Subsequently, there will be a shortage of 65 MLD to 70 MLD, for which contingency plans are being readied.
‘’In case of an extreme situation, we are preparing for contingency, and will resort to water rationing within the city in the worst case scenario till the next monsoon.”
The KRS has 9.94 TMC feet of water as on June 30, against 29.13 TMC feet on the same day in 2022. The Kabini has 4.43 TMC feet of water, as against 8.96 tmc feet during the corresponding period in 2022. The water level at the KRS was 78.01 feet against the full reservoir level of 124.80 feet. The water level in the reservoir was 107.34 feet during the corresponding period in 2022, according to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
The MCC Commissioner said, “There was provision and facility to pump water from the KRS even in case the water level reaches the dead storage level of 74 feet, or tap water from the KRS upstream. ’As far as Mysuru city is concerned, drinking water scarcity will not be an issue.”
Mr. Rajendra instructed officials to ensure that water scarcity does not affect any of the 256 gram panchayats or 13 CMCs in the district. The officials were told to provide a daily update of drinking water situation, and prepare a list of villages that are susceptible to water scarcity.
Though officials insisted that the district will not face a scarcity of drinking water scarcity, the DC directed them to personally visit villages where a crisis is reported, or was plagued by water scarcity, and explore the possibility of sanctioning additional borewells.
‘’Water supply through tankers should be the last resort,” he said.
The officials were also instructed not to compromise on water quality, and subject the water to laboratory analysis frequently.
