Shimoga : Due to heavy rains in the catchment areas of Sringeri, Agumbe, and Tirthahalli, a record amount of water is flowing into the Tunga reservoir at Gajanur this monsoon season. The reservoir recorded an inflow of 71,864 cusecs in the last 24 hours, ending at 6 am on Thursday.
The reservoir, which has a water storage capacity of 588.24 meters (3.24 TMC feet), is already full. Consequently, 22 crest gates of the reservoir have been opened, releasing 73,391 cusecs of water into the Tunga river. If the outflow increases to 80,000 cusecs, the flood conditions in the Tunga river could worsen.
This overflow poses a risk of water entering residential areas along the river banks, including Imam Bada and Bapuji Nagar in Shimoga city. Anticipating further rainfall, the Municipal Corporation has opened three relief centers in Shimoga as a precautionary measure.