Mysuru, DHNS: Due to deficit Southwest and Northeast monsoon showers, Karnataka was able to release 81.33 TMC ft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, during the 'water year' cycle (June 2023-May 2024), said Cauvery Neeravari Nigam officials.
In a normal water year, as per the final verdict of the Cauvery water dispute tribunal, the State was supposed to release 177.25 TMC ft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
In the past four years, Karnataka received good rainfall, and with no balancing reservoir downstream, excess Cauvery water was used to reach the Biligundlu measuring station in Tamil Nadu.
During the last water year, between June 2022 to May 2023, the State released a record 667.24 TMC ft (489.99 TMC ft excess) amount of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
As much as 278 TMC feet (101 TMC feet excess) of Cauvery water was released between June 2021 to May 2022.
In the June 2020-May 2021 cycle, 211.34 TMC feet of Cauvery water (34 TMC feet excess) had reached TN.
And, Tamil Nadu received 273TMC feet of Cauvery water (95.75TMC feet excess) from Karnataka between June 2019 to May 2020.
During this water year (June 2023-May 2024), Karnataka could not release 95.92 TMC ft of the allocated 177 TMC ft of water.
In 2023, the water level at the KRS dam was 113.44 feet against a maximum level of 124.8 feet; Kabini was 2,282.73 feet; Hemavathi was 2,915.05 feet; and Harangi dam was 2,858.65 feet.
This was because, the State received 25% deficit South West Monsoon rainfall from June to September 2023, including 27 per cent deficit rainfall in South Interior Karnataka including the Cauvery River basin.
The State received 38 per cent deficit North East Monsoon showers from October to December 2023 including 31 per cent deficit rainfall in South Interior Karnataka including the Cauvery basin. As many as 223 taluks were declared drought-hit.
At the end of the water year on May 31 2024, the water level at Krishna Raja Sagar Reservoir was 83.90 feet as against its capacity of 124.8 feet. It had 12.61 TMC feet (26 per cent of its gross capacity) of water as against its gross capacity of 49.45 TMC feet.
The water level at Kabini dam was 2,260.53 feet as against its capacity of 2,284 feet. It had 7.53 TMC feet (39 per cent) as against its capacity of 19.52 TMC feet.
At Hemavathi dam the water level was 2,880.58 feet as against its capacity of 2,922 feet. It had 9.90 TMC feet (27 per cent) as against its capacity of 37.10 TMC feet.
At Harangi dam the water level was 2824.11 feet as against its capacity of 2859 feet. It had 3.04 TMC feet (36 per cent) as against its capacity of 8.50 TMC feet.
The State has recorded 33 per cent excess pre-monsoon rainfall from March 1 to May 25, including 22 per cent excess rainfall in South Interior Karnataka regions-- Mysuru (27 per cent); 49 per cent excess rainfall in Malnad region including Kodagyu (23 per cent) in Cauvery basin.
Since January, Karnataka has received 33 per cent excess rainfall. As per IMD predictions, the Southwest Monsoon is expected to be above normal and the State is expected to get more than 20 per cent excess rainfall.