Krishna Basin Sees Strong Inflows While Cauvery Reservoirs Continue to Trail Last Year

Karnataka’s latest reservoir status reflects a sharp contrast between the Krishna and Cauvery river basins. While heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra has significantly increased inflows into reservoirs along the Krishna River, major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin continue to hold much less water than they did at the same time last year.

The impact of rising river levels has already been felt in parts of northern Karnataka. Boat services between Rabakavi in Bagalkote district and Mahishwadagi in Belagavi district have been suspended as a precaution after the Krishna River witnessed a sharp rise in water flow. Officials halted operations to ensure public safety as the river continued to swell.

Residents of the two villages expressed disappointment over the prolonged delay in the construction of a bridge connecting the areas. The 300 metre bridge project has reportedly remained incomplete for nearly a decade. Locals said the bridge would have eliminated the need for boat transport and urged authorities to complete the work without further delay.

Among the Krishna basin reservoirs, Almatti in Vijayapura district is witnessing strong inflows. The reservoir’s water level currently stands at 518.58 metres against its maximum capacity of 519.60 metres. It is receiving an inflow of 73162 cusecs, while 43567 cusecs are being released downstream.

Basavasagar reservoir in Yadgir district has also recorded a significant increase in inflow. The reservoir level has reached 490.92 metres against a maximum of 492.25 metres. It is receiving around 43000 cusecs of water, with no outflow reported at present.

In contrast, reservoirs in the Cauvery basin continue to lag behind last year’s storage figures. The Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir in Mandya is currently at 91.95 feet with a storage of 17.13 TMC. It is receiving an inflow of 713 cusecs while releasing 1578 cusecs, indicating that water storage remains well below its full capacity.

The Hemavathi reservoir in Hassan district is also holding considerably less water compared to the same period last year. Its current level is 2904.65 feet with a storage of 22.82 TMC. The reservoir is receiving an inflow of 1198 cusecs and releasing 500 cusecs. During the corresponding period last year, it had nearly reached full capacity with more than 36 TMC of water.

Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district presents a similar picture. The water level currently stands at 73.14 feet with a storage of 13.27 TMC. It is receiving 2369 cusecs of inflow and releasing 500 cusecs. Last year, the reservoir had almost reached its maximum level and contained more than 19 TMC of water during the same period.

The latest figures underline how weather patterns have affected different river systems across Karnataka. While persistent rainfall has strengthened water availability in the Krishna basin, the Cauvery catchment is still awaiting stronger monsoon activity to improve reservoir storage levels in the coming weeks.