Karnataka is experiencing a robust monsoon, with heavy rains filling major reservoirs to capacity. However, a troubling situation persists for many lakes essential for rural agriculture. Out of 3,683 lakes managed by the Minor Irrigation Department, 15.1% remain completely dry with no water stored.
While rain has improved water levels across various districts, lakes crucial for irrigation are still facing severe shortages. In fact, 67.55% of the lakes have less than 50% of their capacity, making it difficult for farming communities to benefit from the rains. Tumkur district is particularly affected, with 172 lakes entirely dry. Additionally, 1,526 lakes hold less than 30% water, and 409 lakes have 31 to 50% water.
The Minor Irrigation Department reports that if all 3,683 lakes were fully filled, they could store 107.78 TMC feet of water, sufficient to irrigate 4.40 lakh hectares. Despite this year’s increased rainfall, some districts and taluks have not seen adequate rainfall to fill their lakes.
Currently, only 17.13% of these lakes are near full capacity. The most successful regions are Malenadu and North Karnataka, where heavy rainfall has helped fill a significant number of lakes. Shimoga leads with 301 lakes having 51 to 100% water, including 168 that are completely full.
Across Karnataka, the combined total of 40,998 lakes managed by various departments faces similar challenges. Despite efforts to desilt and maintain these water bodies under schemes like NREGA, over 30% remain uncultivated and underutilized.