The current water level at the KRS dam is at 83 feet -- compared to a full level of 124.8 feet.
Highlights
- Water level at Karnataka's Krishnarajasagara dam is at 83 feet.
- If only used for drinking, the water will last around 3 months.
- There's even less water in some of the other dams in the state
Storage levels in reservoirs across Karnataka are alarmingly low. And the state is holding onto the hope for summer rain to ease the situation. Given the water level at the state's dams reaching the rock bottom, literally, drinking water is now the priority.
The NDTV team was allowed access to the Krishnarajasagara or KRS dam in Mysuru, to walk on the dry bed of part of the dam that is a lifeline when it comes to drinking water and irrigation.
The current water level is at 83 feet -- compared to a full level of 124.8 feet.
At the beginning of what looks like a long, hot summer, the water is released in what is practically a trickle. It is meant only for drinking -- irrigation is a luxury that is just not possible at this point.
Even so, the supply will last for no more than three months - serving Mysuru, Mandya and state capital Bengaluru.
No water for crops is bad news for the farmers of Mandya district -- the area has been irrigated for decades and water intensive crops like sugarcane and paddy are a mainstay. This year, much of the sugarcane is drying in the fields. And paddy planting was not done on the usual scale.
The situation in the KRS dam is reflected in reservoirs across Karnataka. Many other reservoirs have been hit worse. The storage level in dams like Tungabhadra, Almatti, Harangi and Malaprabha are in single digits.