The south west monsoon is yet to set in fully and gain vigour in the catchment area of the Cauvery, but the storage levels in the major reservoirs are above 50 per cent of their gross capacity.
This is mainly due to the pre-monsoon showers coupled with cyclone-induced rains in May as a result of which the storage level in the dams during the current season is comfortable.
The gross storage capacity of the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Mysuru is 49.45 thousand million cubic ft (tmc ft) against which the actual storage as on June 10 (Friday) was 27.40 tmc ft, according to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
This is for the first time in recent years that the actual storage is almost 55 per cent of the gross storage as early as in the second week of June. In contrast the storage during the same day last year was 12.49 tmc ft while in 2020 it was 17.45 tmc ft.
The water level in the reservoir was 105.44 feet against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 124.80 feet. In 2021 it was 83.62 feet; and 92.45 feet in 2020. The reservoir saw a surge in flow during the third and last week of May and though it has ebbed since, the authorities expect the onset of monsoon would ensure adequate in flow in the coming days.
At Hemavathi dam near Gorur in Hassan district, the actual storage this year is at 62 per cent of the gross capacity. Against the gross storage capacity of 37.10 tmc ft, the dam as on June 10 had 23.13 tmc ft of water. The storage during the same period last year was 9.56 tmc ft.
Harangi near Kushalnagar has a gross storage capacity of 8.50 tmc ft against which the quantum of water available as on June 10 was 6.09 tmc ft which is 72 per cent of the actual storage capacity. Last year the available quantum was only 2.96 tmc ft, as per the KSNDMC records.
It is only in Kabini that the storage was below 50 per cent of the capacity. Against the gross storage capacity of 19.52 tmc ft, the quantum of water available as on June 10 was 7.94 tmc ft which is 41 per cent of the storage capacity.
The cumulative gross storage capacity across the four dams in the Cauvery basin is 114.57 tmc ft against which the actual storage as on June 10 was 64.55 tmc ft. This is 56 per cent of the gross storage capacity, according to KSNDMC.
The rainfall pattern being monitored by KSNDMC indicates that the monsoon is yet to gain traction or vigour in the catchment areas of the Cauvery basin comprising Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan.
The cumulative rainfall from June 1 to 10 in these districts has been 34.7 mm as against a normal of 73.8 mm. Kodagu from where the Cauvery originates, has received 20.6 mm of rains between June 1 and 10 against a normal of 102.1 mm which is 80 per cent below normal.
