Karnataka: Will get water from dams only till June 15, says MB Patil
Bengaluru: Taking stock of the water storage in dams across the state, the government has concluded that the available water will suffice for drinking purposes only till June 15.
Speaking to reporters after meeting senior officials, Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said that the government wants farmers to cooperate in this crisis situation by not using IP sets for irrigation.
In reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, which supplies water to major cities like Bengaluru and Mysuru, water storage stood at 7.748 tmc ft. However, for Bengaluru, water can be drawn only from KRS and Kabini dams, which have 4.438 tmc ft and 0.298 tmc ft water respectively
The BWSSB required 600 cusecs of water every day to supply water to Bengaluru with 800 cusecs being released every day. Around 200 cusecs is lost during the flow due to evaparation and distribution losses. For the next 60 days, around 4.12 tmc ft of water would be required to cater to drinking water needs, Mr Patil said. Though Harangi has 1.228 tmc ft and Hemavathi, 1.787 tmc ft water, this water is required for local consumption, he added.
In Alamatti, 12 tmc ft water is available, of which only 8.25 tmc ft is live storage. In Narayanapura, where the water storage is 13 tmc ft, the live storage is only 5.9 tmc ft. This dam has to cater to the needs of RTPS as well as meet drinking water needs.
Hidkal dam has 7.65 tmc ft water, Hipparagi 0.8 tmc ft and Malaprabha 1.7 tmc ft, which are sufficient for local needs.
In Tunga-Bhadra dam, there is 1.7 tmc ft live storage of water and another 2 tmc ft dead storage. A situation may arise where the dead storage water too may have to be pumped for use, he added.
‘No water for Tamil Nadu’
The state government on Monday said that it is not in a position to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as its availability is just enough for the state's drinking needs. It also reiterated that the proposed Mekedatu project across the Cauvery was in the interest of both the states and there was "misconception" about it in Tamil Nadu.
"There is water only for drinking purpose until June 15...we do not have water for Tamil Nadu," Water Resources Minister M B Patil told reporters in Bengaluru
