Rain infuses life into reservoirs; Tungabhadra dam reaches max level

Heavy pre-monsoon showers in the last few days have swelled the reservoir levels in the state with Tunga dam at Gajanuru in Shivamogga district reaching its full reservoir level even before the proper onset of southwest monsoon.

The Tunga dam reached its maximum level of 588.24 metres on Sunday. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 3.24 tmcft. On Sunday, 2,500 cusec of water was released downstream by opening five crest gates.

With heavy rain forecast for the next few days, more water will be released in the coming days. The people living on the banks of the river should move to safety along with their cattle, Thippa Naik, executive engineer of Tunga reservoir, told DH.

The Linganamakki reservoir across Sharavathi river, on Sunday received 10,900 cusec. In the last 24 hours, the water level of the dam has increased by 0.35 tmcft.

The current level of the dam stands at 1,764 feet against its maximum level of 1,819 feet. Agumbe recorded a massive 202 mm of rain in the last 24 hours while Hulikal saw 179 mm of rain. The weather department has sounded red alert for Shivamogga district on May 26 and 27 and an orange alert for May 28 and 29.

Tungabhadra reservoir near Hosapete is witnessing a steady increase in inflows. On Sunday, the reservoir, the lifeline of Koppal, Vijayanagar, Ballari and Raichur districts, clocked an inflow of 3,178 cusec. The dam has 10.70 tmcft of water.

Up north, Lal Bahadur Shastri (Almatti) reservoir, across Krishna river in Bagalkot district, has witnessed over 3 tmcft of water flow into the dam, which saw its first inflows in May third week itself.

With its catchment areas in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra getting heavy pre-monsoon rain, the reservoir has started receiving copious inflows. The water level at the dam stands at 509.44 metres as against its full reservoir level of 519.6 metres. The dam has 27.284 tmcft of water. It was only 6 tmcft in the corresponding period last year.

The reservoirs of Uttara Kannada districts - Kadra, Kodasalli and Supa - have also started receiving good inflows, thanks to incessant pre-monsoon rain in the last two weeks.

With the low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea off the Konkan coast intensifying into a depression, a red alert has been declared for Uttara Kannada district till May 28.    

In Kodagu, Triveni Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery, Kannike and  Sujyoti rivers, is full to the brim. The unyielding showers have infused life into rivers and falls in the hilly district.

With heavy rain forecast for next few days, an NDRF team is being deployed in Kodagu. Anganwadis and colleges affiliated to Kodagu varsity have declared holiday till May 27.