Water storage in the Tungabhadra reservoir has fallen to 34.64 trillion cubic feet (TMC ft), with the possibility of canal water supply ceasing within the next 10 days. Although the Irrigation Advisory Committee had decided to release water into canals until November 20, with a potential extension to December 10 if winter rains provided inflow, the current lack of rainfall has made this extension impossible.
The Tungabhadra Board stated that inflow had ceased by September 10 due to a weak monsoon, and the absence of winter rains has left the reservoir without any new inflow. Despite farmers demanding water release until December 10, the board noted that meeting this demand is difficult given the present conditions.
Section Engineer Kiran of the Tungabhadra Board explained that the drought situation mirrors that of 2023. While the reservoir, with a maximum storage capacity of 105.78 TMC ft, held only 89 TMC ft in 2023, it has accumulated 96 TMC ft this year. Due to the necessity of preserving water for drinking purposes, the board may have to halt canal water releases on November 20, as decided in the Irrigation Advisory Committee meeting.