Water levels in Karnataka reservoirs continue to remain an important point of attention as the state moves into October. The latest figures for October 1 show different storage conditions across major dams, with some reservoirs receiving inflows while others are recording little or no fresh water entering the system.
The KRS reservoir in Mandya is currently at 104.15 feet against its maximum level of 124.80 feet. The reservoir has 26.240 TMC of water in storage. The present inflow is 465 cusecs, while the outflow stands at 3,078 cusecs.
The Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district has recorded 1 mm of rainfall in the surrounding area. The water level is currently 68.85 feet compared with the maximum level of 84 feet. The total storage stands at 11.12 TMC, of which 1.31 TMC is reported as available for use.
Kabini is receiving an inflow of 870 cusecs. The total outflow is 1,325 cusecs. Of this, 525 cusecs is being released into the river and 800 cusecs through the right bank canal. No water is currently being released through the left bank canal.
The Hemavathi reservoir at Gorur in Hassan district has a current water level of 2,892.05 feet. Its maximum level is 2,922 feet. The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 37.103 TMC and currently holds 15.205 TMC.
The live storage available in Hemavathi is 10.833 TMC. The reservoir is receiving an inflow of 988 cusecs, indicating that some fresh water continues to enter the dam.
The situation at Alamatti in Vijayapura is different. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Sagar reservoir is currently at 518.47 metres against its maximum level of 519.60 metres. There is no fresh inflow being recorded at the reservoir.
Despite the absence of inflow, Alamatti is releasing 10,451 cusecs of water. The reservoir remains an important source for irrigation and water management in northern Karnataka.
Basavasagar reservoir near Narayanapura in Yadgir district is also holding water at a relatively high level. The current level is 491.26 metres against the maximum level of 492.25 metres.
The reservoir is receiving 8,863 cusecs of inflow, while the present outflow is 366 cusecs. The difference between inflow and outflow means the reservoir continues to receive a substantial quantity of fresh water.
The Tungabhadra reservoir in Vijayanagara district has a current water level of 1,623.281 feet against its full reservoir level of 1,633 feet. The total storage capacity of the dam is 105.788 TMC, while the present storage is 71.018 TMC.
No fresh inflow is being recorded at the Tungabhadra reservoir. However, the dam is releasing 9,573 cusecs through different canals to meet downstream and irrigation requirements.
The latest figures show that water conditions are not uniform across Karnataka. While Basavasagar is receiving a strong inflow and Kabini and Hemavathi are also recording fresh water entering their reservoirs, Alamatti and Tungabhadra have reported no inflow in the latest update.
KRS is also releasing more water than it is receiving, with an inflow of 465 cusecs against an outflow of 3,078 cusecs. The figures provide an indication of how reservoir operations are being managed according to current requirements.
For farmers and irrigation authorities, these daily figures remain significant because changes in inflow, storage and releases directly affect water availability. Reservoir levels are also closely monitored as the state plans water distribution for different regions and agricultural needs.
The October 1 update therefore presents a mixed picture across the major reservoirs. The coming days will be important for tracking fresh inflows, storage levels and the amount of water being released from each dam.
