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Karnataka Today newsletter: KRS dam breaches 100 ft mark against full capacity of 124.80 ft, and more

The water level at Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) across river Cauvery breached the 100 ft mark against the maximum level of 124.80 ft on July 5. Exactly a week ago (June 28), the reservoir level at KRS was hovering at 90.28 ft. The rise in reservoir level was facilitated by a spell of heavy rains that lashed parts of Kodagu, including Bhagamandala which constitutes the catchment area for the Cauvery.

In a 24-hour period, Bhagamandala recorded 211 mm of rainfall and the first flooding of the season was reported last week. This helped augment the inflow into the KRS. However, dam authorities at the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Ltd (CNNL) have pointed out that the increase in water levels will turn progressively slower beyond the 100 ft mark as the span of the backwater widens.

Though all work on Cauvery V Stage is complete, residents of 110 villages near Bengaluru, who have been waiting for piped water for over a decade, may have to wait a little longer. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is expected to start the pre-commission trial of Cauvery V Stage by the end of July.

The board is waiting for power connection to the pipeline network, and an on-site inspection by Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who also hold the Bengaluru Development portfolio, to begin the pre-commission trial. Many residents fear that the board will encounter gaps in the pipeline network.

After a dull monsoon in 2023, rain has picked up this year in Karnataka, especially in the coastal and Malnad regions along the Western Ghats. Tourists, especially from Bengaluru, are heading to destinations in these regions to enjoy the rains. Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu seem to be the destinations most favoured by tourists.

Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) has seen a slight increase in the number of bookings to Madikeri (Kodagu district) and Jog Falls (Shivamogga district). Rather than going for traditional lodging options, tourists are now looking to stay in homestays and resorts on the outskirts, away from the buzz of cities.

While crank calls have always been a concern for Bengaluru City Police’s (BCP) Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) — Namma 112, some of these calls have begun to come from even mentally-disturbed inmates of NIMHANS. According to staff at the control room, several mentally disturbed people call the control room as ‘they want someone to lend them an ear’.