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.
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.
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