Pre-monsoon showers have significantly boosted reservoir levels across the state. The Tungabhadra reservoir near Hosapete is also witnessing steady inflow, recording 3,178 cusecs on Sunday. The reservoir, crucial to the Koppal, Vijayanagar, Ballari, and Raichur districts, currently holds 10.70 tmcft of water.
The Tunga dam at Gajanuru in Shivamogga district reached its full reservoir level of 588.24 metres on Sunday, ahead of the southwest monsoon’s formal arrival. With a storage capacity of 3.24 tmcft, the dam saw 2,500 cusecs of water released downstream through five crest gates. As more rain is expected in the coming days, additional releases are likely. Residents along the riverbanks are advised to shift to safer locations with their livestock, according to Tunga reservoir executive engineer Thippa Naik.
The Linganamakki reservoir on the Sharavathi river received 10,900 cusecs of inflow on Sunday, with its water level rising by 0.35 tmcft in the past 24 hours.
Linganamakki’s current water level stands at 1,764 feet, against a full level of 1,819 feet. Agumbe recorded a heavy 202 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, while Hulikal registered 179 mm. The weather department has issued a red alert for Shivamogga district on May 26 and 27, and an orange alert for May 28 and 29.
Further north, the Lal Bahadur Shastri (Almatti) reservoir across the Krishna river in Bagalkot district recorded inflows exceeding 3 tmcft, with initial inflows beginning in the third week of May. Heavy pre-monsoon rain in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats, the reservoir’s catchment area, has triggered strong inflows. The water level now stands at 509.44 metres, against the full level of 519.6 metres. The reservoir holds 27.284 tmcft of water, up from just 6 tmcft during the same period last year.
Reservoirs in Uttara Kannada, including Kadra, Kodasalli, and Supa, are also seeing healthy inflows due to sustained pre-monsoon rains. A red alert is in place for the district till May 28 due to a developing depression in the Arabian Sea off the Konkan coast.
In Kodagu, the Triveni Sangama—the confluence of Cauvery, Kannike, and Sujyoti rivers—is brimming. Persistent rainfall has rejuvenated rivers and waterfalls in the region. With more rain forecast, an NDRF team has been stationed in Kodagu, and Anganwadis and Kodagu University-affiliated colleges will remain shut until May 27.