Copious rains in Kerala and Karnataka catchment areas fill Cauvery basin dams

Mysuru: With the catchment areas in Karnataka and Kerala receiving incessant rain, the reservoirs in Cauvery basin - Hemavathi dam in Gorur, Hassan district, and Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam in Mandya district, and Kabini in Mysuru district - have been clocking copious inflows. 

The inflows into the reservoirs in Cauvery basin are expected to go further up as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in Kerala, including Wayanad, Kannur, Kozhikode and other areas for the next two days. 

The KRS dam clocked an inflow of 30,079 cusec on October 25. The dam has already reached its maximum level of 124.80 feet, and maximum storage capacity of 49.452 tmcft. The surplus water of 29,822 cusec was discharged into Cauvery river on October 26.

In fact, the KRS dam, the lifeline of southern districts, reached its maximum level for the first time in the month of June, this season, a record in 93 years of its construction.

Similarly, Hemavathi dam has also reached its full reservoir level of 2,922 feet for the eighth time in the year, on Sunday. The inflow was 17,962 cusec and outflow 12,320 cusec.

The water level of the Kabini dam in H D Kote taluk was 2,283.96 feet as against its maximum level of 2,284 feet. The inflow was 5,427 cusec while the outflow 5,325 cusec.

Outflows to go up

With the outflow from the KRS and Hemavathi reservoirs expected to increase due to unyielding rain in their catchments, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd and Hemavathi dam authorities have issued a flood warning, appealing to people living along the river banks to move to safer places.

According to senior officials of IMD, Karnataka state recorded 4 per cent excess rain during Southwest monsoon, between June and September.

However, the South interior region of the Cauvery basin has recorded 9 per cent deficit rainfall, and Malnad region 7 per cent deficit rainfall. But due to good inflow during the season, the water levels of the dams in Cauvery basin was full with good storage levels.

The officials also predict above normal Northeast monsoon this year.