The Irrigation Department authorities plan to step up the discharge from the Kabini reservoir in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysuru district in view of heavy rains in the upstream of the river.
This has augmented the inflow into the dam which was at the rate of 35,000 cusecs at noon on Thursday, up from nearly 22,098 cusecs when the gauge was measured at 6 a.m. Though the outflow from the reservoir has been pegged at 5,000 cusecs, authorities said it would be stepped up to nearly 20,000 cusecs by evening and have cautioned people living in the downstream of the Kabini reservoir and those along the banks of the river, to move to safer places.
“We have received information of heavy to very heavy rains in the catchment area of the Kabini in the neighbouring State of Kerala,” said the official who also pointed out that the water level at the dam was hovering 5 ft below the Full Reservoir Level (FRL).
As against the FRL of 2,284 ft, the water level at Kabini on Thursday was 2,279 ft in the afternoon whereas it was 2,276.55 feet a few hours earlier. Since the reservoir is expected to reach the full level by late in the evening or by night, and water cannot be impounded once the dam reaches its FRL, the authorities expect the discharge from the dam to increase further and hence the flood warning.
In view of the rains in the catchment area of the Cauvery in Bhagamandala and surrounding places, the inflow to the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir has increased. The inflow was 28,383 cusecs on Thursday and the water level was 90.80 ft as against the FRL of 124.80 ft.
With the increase in water flow, people are flocking to the local falls and Chunchankatte, near K.R.Nagar, which is about 50 km from Mysuru.
However, the steps leading to the riverbanks have been barricaded and constables have been deployed to prevent the public from venturing too close to the river. It was only last week that a scientist from Central Food Technological Research Institute was swept away in the swirling waters of the Cauvery.