KRS Dam water release was increased to 7,151 cusecs on Sunday night, even as the Karnataka government has sought a reduction in the quantity of Cauvery water being released to Tamil Nadu, according to information released by the Water Resources Department.
The additional outflow from the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir is being sent through the Cauvery river and canals. The water is intended for drinking water needs and for filling lakes, the department said. The increase follows a reduction in the release over the past few days.
The outflow stood at 5,000 cusecs by Saturday evening and remained at the same level through Sunday morning. It was raised to 7,151 cusecs by Sunday night. The change comes against the backdrop of Karnataka’s request that the water being released towards Tamil Nadu be reduced.
The reservoir’s water level had reached 106 feet by Sunday evening, while the storage stood at 19.50 thousand million cubic feet, or TMC ft. The KRS reservoir has a maximum storage level of 124.80 feet and a total storage capacity of 49.45 TMC ft.
Inflow into the reservoir was recorded at 4,087 cusecs by Sunday evening. The difference between inflow and outflow indicates that water is being drawn down from the reservoir’s existing storage while the release remains above the incoming flow recorded at that time.
The release has significance for the connected water system because the outflow serves more than one purpose. Part of the water is moving through the Cauvery river, while canal releases are being used for drinking water supply and lake-filling requirements. The department’s figures place the reservoir at about 18.8 per cent of its full storage capacity, based on the reported 19.50 TMC ft of water against a total capacity of 49.45 TMC ft.
The reported levels also show the operational balance facing the reservoir authorities: inflow, storage, river releases, canal requirements and interstate water obligations must be managed together. The available information does not specify how the 7,151-cusec release is divided between the river and canals, or how long the increased outflow will continue.
For residents and dependent water systems, the next operational update will be important because the reservoir is below its stated full-reservoir level and the reported outflow is higher than the inflow. The Water Resources Department’s subsequent reservoir bulletin is expected to indicate whether the release is maintained, revised or reduced.
