In the wake of an increase in water storage in the Bhadra reservoir owing to bountiful rain in its catchment areas in the last 15 days, the Bhadra Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has decided to release water for cultivation of paddy in the command area in rabi season.
As the monsoon had remained sluggish in the catchment areas of the reservoir from June 1 to August 15, CADA had decided water will not be released for cultivation of agricultural crops in kharif as well as in rabi season in the command area in 2017-18.
However, the water storage in the Bhadra reservoir enhanced owing to revival of the monsoon in the catchment areas from August 15 following which CADA has decided to provide water for cultivation of rabi crop. The reservoir received 10 tmcft of water in the last 15 days.
At present, the live storage of water in the reservoir is 34 tmcft as against the total live storage capacity of 63 tmcft. Of the 34 tmcft, 7 tmcft should be reserved to cater to the drinking water needs of the human habitats on the banks of the Tungabhadra and in the command area of the Bhadra reservoir. B.M. Sundaresh, Chairman, Bhadra CADA, told The Hindu that as the south-west monsoon is reaching its concluding stage and winter will commence in the region shortly, even if the water is released along the canals now, the farmers cannot take up the cultivation of paddy, the main crop here.
Instead, CADA has planned to release water along the right and left bank canals from first week of January for a period of 110 days on an on-and-off basis at the rate of 0.30 tmcft per day for cultivation of paddy crop in rabi season.
The water released for rabi crop will address the drinking water needs of human habitats and the water requirement for plantation crops also in the command area in the summer season, he said.
The command area of Bhadra reservoir is spread across an area of 1.2 lakh hectares in the districts of Shivamogga, Haveri, Chikkamagaluru, and Davangere.