Heavy Inflows Boost Almatti Reservoir as Karnataka Dam Water Levels Continue to Improve
Fresh rainfall across Karnataka has increased inflows into major reservoirs with Almatti recording the highest surge while Cauvery basin dams maintain steady storage ahead of the remaining monsoon weeks.
Continuous rainfall across several parts of Karnataka has brought encouraging news for the state’s water resources, with major reservoirs reporting improved inflows. The most significant rise has been recorded at the Almatti Dam in the Krishna river basin, while reservoirs in the Cauvery basin are also showing stable water storage as the monsoon season progresses.
Among all the major reservoirs, Almatti Dam in Vijayapura district witnessed the strongest inflow on July 21. The reservoir received 46848 cusecs of water, pushing the water level to 517.97 metres against its full reservoir level of 519.60 metres. Officials recorded an outflow of 16351 cusecs, indicating healthy water movement through the dam.
The increase in water levels has brought relief to farmers and residents in northern Karnataka, where monsoon rains play a vital role in supporting agriculture and ensuring adequate irrigation supplies during the growing season.
In southern Karnataka, the Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir continues to hold a moderate volume of water. The dam currently stands at a water level of 92.38 feet compared to its maximum level of 124.80 feet. It is storing 17.407 TMC of water out of its total capacity of 49.452 TMC. The reservoir is receiving an inflow of 775 cusecs while releasing 2391 cusecs downstream.
The Hemavati reservoir at Gorur in Hassan district has also maintained stable storage despite receiving lower inflows compared to the previous year. The water level currently stands at 2904.45 feet against a maximum level of 2922.00 feet. The reservoir is holding 22.685 TMC of water from its total storage capacity of 37.103 TMC. Daily inflow has been measured at 1399 cusecs, while 300 cusecs are being released.
Kabini Dam in Mysuru district has recorded relatively lower storage than the same period last year. The present water level is 72.23 feet, compared with 83.68 feet during the corresponding period last year. The reservoir currently stores 12.80 TMC of water, while last year’s storage at this time stood at 19.30 TMC. Inflow into the reservoir is 3330 cusecs, with an outflow of 500 cusecs. The catchment area also received 15 millimetres of rainfall over the past 24 hours.
The Tungabhadra reservoir continues to receive steady inflows as well. The current water level is 1603.10 feet against its maximum level of 1633.00 feet. The dam is storing 25.796 TMC of water out of its total capacity of 105.788 TMC. It is receiving an inflow of 4100 cusecs and releasing 3254 cusecs. Although storage remains lower than the corresponding period last year, inflows are expected to improve if rainfall continues across the catchment region.
Water resource officials remain optimistic as rainfall persists across many parts of the state. Reservoirs in the Cauvery basin including Krishna Raja Sagara, Kabini and Hemavati are expected to receive additional inflows over the coming days if showers continue in the Western Ghats and surrounding catchment areas.
The improving reservoir levels are being closely monitored as they play a crucial role in meeting irrigation requirements, supplying drinking water and supporting hydroelectric generation. While northern Karnataka has already witnessed a significant boost through heavy inflows into Almatti, attention is now focused on how sustained monsoon rainfall will influence storage levels across the rest of the state’s major dams in the weeks ahead.
