The spell of heavy rain in parts of Karnataka over the past week has not helped reduce the state’s rainfall deficit. The downpour, however, has slightly increased water levels in major reservoirs. All districts have recorded deficit rainfall during the monsoon season starting on June 1.

Bengaluru Urban is among the worst-hit districts, recording a 34 per cent deficit. Until August 9, the district received 127 mm of rainfall, against a normal of 197 mm for the period. Vijayanagara and Mysuru have received less than half their normal rainfall. For Vijayanagara, the deficit was 58 per cent, whereas it was 51 per cent for Mysuru. Chamarajanagar (47 per cent deficit), Kolar (42 per cent), and Ballari (41 per cent) are the other severely affected districts.

Overall, the deficit is 21 per cent, with the state receiving 517.8 mm of rainfall against a normal of 656.7 mm.

The situation remained grim even in Malnad districts, prime catchment areas for major rivers flowing in the state. Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu have received around 31-34 per cent less rainfall during the monsoon season.

The Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam, which is at the centre of the Cauvery crisis, had a gross storage of 30.4 TMC on Monday morning, compared to 48.92 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) on the same day last year. Water levels in the other dams of the Cauvery basin—Harangi, Hemavathi and Kabini—have also improved.

The inflows to the KRS and Kabini dams were 11,857 and 12,044 cubic feet per second (cusecs), respectively. As the Kabini dam was almost full, the authorities have maintained an outflow of 12,000 cusecs from the dam.

Water levels have similarly improved in dams along the Krishna river in North Karnataka.

Almatti, the largest, received an inflow of 89,777 cusecs and the gross storage was 121.43 TMC, against its full capacity of 123.08 TMC.

Source: The Indian Express