Karnataka has drinking water to last only till June 15
Karnataka Water Resources Minister MB Patil has said that the state has just enough water for drinking purposes till June 15. Patil also urged the people of Karnataka to use water judiciously. The state has been reeling under a severe drought for the past three years and available live storage in the state's reservoirs has reached an all-time low.
Karnataka water resources minister MB Patil has appealed to the state's denizens to use water judiciously, reminding them that there's just enough water for drinking purposes till June 15.Patil today held a meeting with officials belonging to various departments, to work out how best to optimally use water until the onset of the monsoon. With Karnataka reeling under a severe drought for the past three years, the state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that citizens aren't facing too much trouble. But with the available live storage in the reservoirs touching an all-time low, there's very little the government can do to supply continuous drinking water.As of today, this is the level of water in the state's reservoirs.- Almatti dam: 12 TMC (TMC - one thousand million cubic feet)- Narayanapura dam: 15 TMC- Hidkal dam: 7.6 TMC- Hipparge dam : 0.8 TMC- Malaprabha dam: 1.7 TMC- Tungabhadra dam: 3.7 TMC- Bhadra: 8.5 TMC- KRS: 4.438 TMC- Kabini dam: 0.295 TMC- Harangi dam: 1.228 TMC- Hemavathi dam: 1.787 TMCWATER RATIONING BEGINS?"We will coordinate with different departments and ensure that as a team there will be efficient use of water," Patil said. However, he hinted that agencies such as Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), KWSSB and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department (RDPR) can take a decision on rationing water. Similarly, district administrations can stop farmers from utilizing pumpsets, since Patil said, "there's is water for agricultural purposes and what we have is only for drinking." WATER SHORTAGE IN BENGALURUThe problem that Bengaluru is suffering today is due to the fact that only a third of the city gets Cauvery water on a daily basis, as per the tribunal's orders. The other parts of the city make do with borewells and water tankers. "We have allocated around 9 TMC of water to the peripheral areas of the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) but that will take time," Patil said.He added that the BWSSB and BBMP would manage that issue in due course of time.Patil said that in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and surrounding areas, water is being supplied at 800 cusecs per day, and this should suffice till June 15. The KRS dam and the Kabini dam together have around 4.7 TMC, and the requirement for 60 days will be around 4.5 TMC, which is manageable, he said.ALSO READ | Bengaluru 'water warriors' challenge citizens in city to be 'water kanjoos' this summer 