JOIN US Despite a decline in water levels at KRS reservoir, across Cauvery river in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, officials allayed the public’s fears that there will be a shortage of water to meet the drinking water needs of Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore.
Executive engineer Vijay Kumar, KRS, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, said that amount of water in the reservoir was sufficient to meet the needs of people of the three cities till May end. He was also hopeful that pre-monsoon rains will help tide over the crisis.
Saturday levels
The water level on Saturday stood at 70.69 tmc ft compared to 91 tmc ft on the corresponding day last year.
The maximum level of the dam is 124.8 tmc ft. Now, the storage of useable water (apart from dead storage) is 7.2 tmc ft and one tmc ft of water is sufficient to meet the domestic needs of people of Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore for eight days.
The inflow on Saturday was 320 cusecs and outflow 660 cusecs. Bangalore needs 1,800 million litres per day (MLD). Mysore needs only 200 MLD and it can sustain even when the reservoir reaches dead storage, as water can be pumped out of the dam.
Responding to a theory floated by some experts that water below 68 tmc ft in the reservoir was not fit for consumption, Vijay Kumar said there was no truth tin that and that water could be used up to 60 ft, when it becomes dead storage.