Bengaluru: In the wake of the drought and the severe shortage of water in state reservoirs, the government has decided not to release water for agricultural needs till the monsoon sets in.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Water Resources Minister Mr M.B. Patil said the situation may even warrant the lifting of dead storage water, below the critical level in reservoirs, if the monsoon does not set in early. Even if the monsoon begins early, the present water storage needs to cater to drinking needs till June 15, he said.
The government is taking stock of the situation. In some reservoirs like Narayanapura, water can be supplied for drinking purposes even after using it for producing power. Barring such reservoirs, water in the other reservoirs including KRS and Almatti would not be released for non-drinking purposes, he said.
Water from Sharavathi
Meanwhile, the state government is contemplating drawing water from Sharavathi valley to cater to the needs of Bengaluru city during summer. So far, the state has never faced a situation where it has to utilise dead storage water in reservoirs for drinking. However, considering this year's grim situation, the government is preparing to lift dead storage water too, Mr. Patil said.
Tyagarajan panel report
Meanwhile, the government is contemplating implementing the Tyagarajan Committee report to divert water from Sharavathi valley to parched areas of Kolar and Chickaballapur districts.
The government is also looking at the feasibility of diverting water from west flowing rivers as well as linking major rivers. This would include joining rivers Krishna and Cauvery, along with Godavari and Mahanadi as a long-term measure to solve water shortage, the minister said.
