KRS Dam crosses 100 feet as monsoon revives in Karnataka's Cauvery basin

The Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district, built across the river Cauvery, crossed the 100-foot water level mark on August 3, reflecting a steady revival of the monsoon in its catchment areas. The water level stood at 100.34 feet at 8 a.m., against the dam's maximum storage level of 124.80 feet.

Data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre shows that the reservoir level rose from 91.70 feet on July 27 to 100.34 feet in a week. Inflow into the dam increased from 2,100 cusecs on July 27 to 7,058 cusecs by July 31, then surged to over 20,000 cusecs on August 1 and further to 32,048 cusecs by the morning of August 3. The outflow was recorded at 1,821 cusecs, which includes releases for canal irrigation and drinking water supply.

The sharp rise in inflow is attributed to heavy rainfall in Kodagu district, particularly in Bhagamandala and surrounding areas that form the catchment of the Cauvery river. The Harangi dam, also located in Kodagu, received an inflow of 11,646 cusecs on August 3, with an outflow of 10,750 cusecs—significantly higher than the 3,000 cusecs outflow recorded on the same day last year. The Harangi reservoir level stood at 2,857.01 feet against its maximum of 2,859 feet.

Officials note that the rate of rise in the KRS reservoir will slow down after the 100-foot mark because the spread of the backwater increases at higher levels. 'The initial filling is quick, but the storage gains become less visible as the water spreads over a larger area,' a senior irrigation official explained. The current trend, however, has brought relief to farmers and residents dependent on the Cauvery system.

The improvement in storage levels across reservoirs in the Cauvery basin has also eased, to some extent, the long-standing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of river waters. While the legal and political differences remain, the adequate inflow has reduced immediate conflict over releases. Farmers in the region, who were facing uncertainty due to weak monsoon earlier in June and July, now have better prospects for irrigation in the coming months.

Meanwhile, rainfall in Kodagu has moderated, with the district recording an average of 19.52 mm in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. on August 3. The highest rainfall was recorded at Sampaje with 67.60 mm, followed by Bhagamandala at 60.90 mm and Madikeri at 54.40 mm. The weather department has forecast scattered heavy showers in the coming days, which may help maintain the inflow into the KRS reservoir.

The KRS dam, constructed in the 1930s under the leadership of Sir M. Visvesvaraya, remains a crucial lifeline for Karnataka's south interior region. It supports irrigation for over 1.2 lakh acres of farmland and supplies drinking water to several towns, including Mysuru and Bengaluru. The current water level, though still below the full reservoir level, indicates a substantial improvement from the stress experienced during the earlier part of the monsoon.