Mandya: The Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir (KRS) in the Srirangapatna Taluk of the District reached a water level of 100 ft in the peak summer of May. This has made farmers happy. The reservoir provides drinking water for Bengaluru and Mysuru, as well as a lifeline for thousands of farmers in Southern Karnataka and Tamilnadu.
The lack of rain in recent years has resulted in a water-sharing dispute between the State and Tamilnadu. Now, the water level has already reached 100 feet, ensuring that there will be no shortage of drinking water this summer.
The reservoir was constructed in 1932. It is one of the major reservoirs of the State and has a storage capacity of 49.45 TMCs. The reservoir has a maximum height of 124.8ft. For many years, the reservoir has not reached its full capacity, disappointing farmers in both states.
It was in 2008, the water level in the dam crossed 100ft. It was only last week that it passed the mark. Around this time in 2021, the reservoir’s water level was 82.34 ft. The reservoir’s dead storage level is 74.76 ft, with a storage capacity of 4.4 TMCs.
Owing to good rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, the water level of the reservoir rose to 100 ft. The reservoir level has been dead storage for most of the years throughout the summer, which attracts tourists since a submerged old temple may be seen in the backwaters. Farmers have been concerned for years since the water has not reached its maximum level. However, the sufficient storage this year raised hope that the reservoir will be filled to maximum level during the mid – rainy season this year.
