Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Water levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs below 10-year average, and more

As Karnataka government declares drought in 195 taluks and is locking horns with the lower riparian State on release of water, the reservoir levels in dams in the Cauvery basin continue to plummet, raising concern over an impending water crisis in the weeks ahead.

According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), for the week ending September 9, water levels at the KRS, Hemavathi and Kabini reservoirs are less than the average of the last 10 years. The cumulative storage capacity in the four reservoirs, including Harangi — a minor dam, in the Cauvery basin is 114.57 tmcft against which water available was 62.69 tmcft.

A week after the Karnataka BJP unit announced that it would forge a pre-poll alliance with the JD(S) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Hassan MLA Preetham Gowda has said he would welcome the coalition only if the objective is to re-elect Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the benefit of India and strengthen the BJP’s base in the State.

Even on sharing of seats, Mr. Gowda — who lost the Hassan seat in the last Assembly elections to the JD(S) — said if the regional party wants an alliance, it should openly state that it would help the BJP win all 28 seats in Karnataka. 

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will facilitate transfer of technology (ToT) for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to one private company. In July, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), which is the single-window nodal agency for boosting the space economy of India by promoting active participation of the private sector, had issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for technology transfer of SSLV to Indian industries.

On September 14, IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka informed that 23 companies had applied for the ToT. This is, perhaps, the first-ever example where a space agency anywhere in the world has transferred a full design of a launch vehicle to the private sector.

Traffic in and around Vidhana Soudha will be diverted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 15 due to International Democracy Day celebrations on the steps of Vidhana Soudha.