Kabini Dam water level has risen by three feet in two days after heavy rain in Kerala’s Wayanad and surrounding areas increased inflows into the reservoir in Karnataka’s Mysuru district, improving water availability for Bengaluru, Mysuru and several nearby towns.
According to a report by Prajavani, the reservoir was receiving an inflow of 7,329 cusecs as of Monday morning. The inflow was 1,531 cusecs on the same day last year. The dam’s water level had reached 2,272.72 feet, while its maximum level is 2,284 feet.
Kabini currently holds 13.06 TMC feet of water against a storage capacity of 19.52 TMC feet. On the same day last year, the reservoir held 19.46 TMC feet and stood at 2,283.92 feet. The lower storage level this year reflects the water released for Tamil Nadu and local tank-filling requirements after the reservoir filled earlier in the season.
The recent increase began after good rainfall last week. Inflow had risen to 3,800 cusecs by Saturday morning, when the reservoir’s water level was recorded at 2,269 feet and storage was 11 TMC feet. The latest rise has therefore added about 2.06 TMC feet of water and lifted the level by more than three feet in two days, according to the report.
Only 500 cusecs is currently being released from the reservoir. The outflow is being used to supply drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and other urban areas. Last year on the same day, the outflow was 1,104 cusecs.
Officials cited by Prajavani said inflows are expected to continue for another three to four days, which could raise the reservoir level further and support water availability during the coming summer. The report does not provide a revised summer supply schedule or details of any change in allocations to the cities and towns dependent on Kabini.
Kabini is among the first reservoirs in Karnataka to fill during the year, but it is also relatively small. Water from the reservoir flows through the Kapila river, which joins the Cauvery at Tirumakudalu Narasipura. The Cauvery system subsequently supplies Bengaluru. Kabini water is also used extensively in southern Mysuru and supplied for drinking purposes to Chamarajanagar, Nanjangud, Gundlupet and other towns.
The reservoir’s operating importance extends beyond local supply. Significant quantities of water flow from Kabini to Tamil Nadu each year, making the dam an important part of the Cauvery basin’s seasonal water management. The current rise provides additional storage for urban drinking-water needs, while releases and downstream allocations will continue to determine how much of that water remains available for the months ahead.
