Kabini reservoir in Cauvery basin on flood alert after heavy inflow from Wayanad

Mysuru: Due to heavy rainfall at Wayanad in Kerala, and huge inflow of 13,000 cusecs to  Kabini reservoir at Beechanahalli in HD Kote taluk in Mysuru district, the water has reached its optimum level of 2284 feet, and as much as 16,000 cusecs water was released on Tuesday.  

Authorities have issued flood alert in down streams of Kabini reservoir and have directed people to move to safer places.

On 4 June, when south west Monsoons entered Karnataka, the water level at Kabini reservoir was 2261.71 feet. It reached its optimum level around 8 August last year.

As on Tuesday, the reservoirs in Cauvery basin including KRS, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi have 70.87  TMC of water. So far since 1 June, the State has released 18.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

With good rains previous year too, at the end of water year (June to May), the State had released 273 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on 30 May, while they were supposed to release 177.25 TMC of water.

Like how Baagina is offered to a daughter in Gowri festival, since water is considered as one among five mothers, during Aashada and Shravana months, when reservoirs fill Baagina is offered by Chief Minister. And that custom has been followed in Karnataka since 1982, when Mr Gundu Rao was  the chief minister. Now, with Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa testing positive for COVID-19 and undergoing treatment, the custom of offering baagina to river Kapila at Kabini reservoir has to wait.