Water levels in State dams rise: Centre
Fourteen reservoirs hold around 3.59 BCM as against capacity of 23.29 BCM
In a big departure from last year’s crisis when reservoir levels dropped to record lows, the monsoon season begins this year with rather comfortable water levels in Karnataka’s 14 major reservoirs.
The storage levels of the rest of the 67 major reservoirs in the country is also comfortable, with the water level at around 118 per cent of last year's mark of 22.62 billion cubic meter (BCM) and 103 per cent of the average of last 10 years, says a report from the Central Water Commission.
In Karnataka, the storage level in all 14 reservoirs is around 3.59 billion cubic meters (BCM) as against the full reservoir level of 23.29 BCM. In terms of percentage of live capacity at full reservoir level (FRL), the storage is around 20.28 per cent now, while during the same period in 2009, it was around 13 per cent. Live capacity of FRL is the percentage of water stored as compared to the full capacity of the reservoir.
Sowing activity
Agricultural sector, already upbeat with the Meteorological Department forecast of a near-normal monsoon this year, is beaming, as sowing activity could now be quickened. The state’s 14 reservoirs irrigates a total area of 27 lakh hectares.
As per the state government report to the Centre about the status of agricultural activities in 2010-11, the targeted area of sowing is about 115 lakh hectare as against the actual area sown last year of 112.17 lakh hectare.
Hoping to get good rain through the year, the state agriculture department has pegged foodgrain output in 2010-11 at 123.7 lakh tonne, an increase of 15.6 per cent over last year's yield.
The water level in Cauvery and Krishna basin reservoirs, which ever remain the bone of contention between Karnataka and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh over sharing of water, is also normal.
Tungabhadra is the only reservoir that has failed to meet the levels of last year, though its present level is comfortable as compared to the average of last 10 years, the sources in the Union Ministry of Agriculture told Deccan Herald.
D H News Service
