Bengaluru: State capital Bengaluru and the Royal city Mysuru are out to see some tough days soon as drinking water stocks are soon going to dry off.
As per sources, the water presently available at Kabini reservoir, the major source of drinking water for Bengaluru, Chamarajanagar, Kollegal, parts of Mysuru will last for just 60 days.
The dam which also supplies water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, at present had less than 6.4 tmc ft water.
The level at the reservoir, which stood at 2,275 ft (max 2,284 ft) on March 8, 2015, touched 2,260 ft on Tuesday.
Sources say that either a pre-monsoon showers by April in catchment area or early monsoon by end of May can only save the region from drinking water problems.
It is said that the Kabini catchment in Wayanad, which usually receives rainfall till October, did not get any rain after June last year, due to which the reservoir is drying up faster than usual.
With the authorities having to discharge 1tmc everyday 10 days for drinking, Irrigation Department decided to stop supply from Kabini for semi dry or irrigation crops, bringing farming to a halt.
Meanwhile, the situation in KRS Reservoir too is disheartening.
The KRS, which had 120.90 tmcft this time last year, is left with just 14 tmcft, including dead storage. The agriculture and irrigation authorities have banned commercial crops like sugarcane in the Cauvery achukat, citing a poor monsoon and fall in reservoir levels, reported New Indian Express.
However, highly place sources in the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board have insisted that Bengaluru will not face any problem as they have requested KRS authorities to store water for Bengaluru.
The city needs 1.5 tmcft of water a month and with KRS having 16 tmcft water, there will be no drinking water problem in Bengaluru.
