Heavy rains in Cauvery catchment area, flood warning issued

Mysore, July 9 (UNI) Authorities have issued flood warning downstream the Kabini and Hemavathi Reservoirs in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka even as heavy rainfall continues to pound the catchment area of the river.

Reports here said that water level at Hemavathy was just five feet below its maximum of 2,922 feet with the inflow being 32,000 cusec and the discharge 9000 cusec.

Sources in the irrigation departmet told UNI the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir (KRS), near here, recorded an inflow of 41,987 cusec while the discharge was being maintained at 6,668 cusec.

The Hemavathy Reservoir authorities in Hassan District issued a flood warning aksing people living on the river banks to move to safer places since the discharge from the dam may increase any moment following expected heavy inflows into to the reservoir.

The water level in KRS, which dipped to 67 feet and was close to the dead storage level last month had increased dramatically since the onset of monsoon in June end.

The water level today stood at 115.20 feet against the maximum of 124.80 feet.

Meanwhile, the water level in Kabini Reservoir was already touching the brim as its catchment area in Waynad in Kerala was also receiving good rainfall. The level stood at 2,282 feet against the maximum of 2,284 feet.

Water level in the Harangi Reservoir in Kodagu District reached 2,217 feet against a maximum of 2,259 feet. The outflow was 12,000 cusec with inflow of 9,000 cusecs.

UNI