Cauvery river basin in glory after monsoon showers

Cauvery River basin seems to have been alive because of the copious rains it has achieved this Monsoon.

 

Overflowing waterfalls — rich and greenery in appearance — rivulets and streams are attracting a large number of tourists.

 

Before monsoons, home to Talakaveri, the origin of the iconic Cauvery river, faced a grim reality as the river dwindled to a trickle, leaving behind parched landscapes, human settlements, coffee crops as well as wildlife in dire consequences.

 

Malnad region, including Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district, has received a good spell of rain this year reviving waterfalls and streams which had dried up owing to deficit rain last year.

 

 

Although the scenic beauty of Cauvery basin is attracting tourists, homestays and resorts, which generally attract a large number of people, have been affected because of land being slippery on the Shiradi Ghat stretch.

 

Besides, power outages can also affect the tourist inflow.

 

Gagnachukki and Bharachukki Falls, located on the border of Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts, are in full splendour and are attracting a large number of people not only from Mandya and Mysuru but also from Bengaluru and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

 

Besides, Chunchanakatte waterfalls in Saligrama taluk, KR Nagar taluk, Mysuru district, is also around 50 km from Mysuru, drawing hundreds of visitors, especially Mysureans.

 

The beauty has been such that one can easily spend a few hours during weekends. Sound of swirling waters and getting drenched in its glory ought to be mesmerising.

 

Lakshman Theertha River in Hunsur has also been drawing nature lovers.

 

A large number of people park their vehicles on the new bridge across River Cauvery to have a glimpse of the water flowing with full force, in Srirangapatna taluk.

 

Besides, for picnic spots, Balamuri Falls and Yedamuri are the best destinations.

 

Meanwhile, the authorities have taken preventive measures and have cautioned the people not to go near the water, at all places.

 

Rain & Tamil Nadu & K’taka sharing water from River Cauvery

 

Rain gods might have averted a confrontation that was brewing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing of water from River Cauvery.

 

Extremely heavy rains in the river’s catchment areas in Karnataka led to a sudden and significant jump in water storage at the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur in Tamil Nadu, which received over 31 tmcft of water from the neighbouring state in just about a week.

 

 

The storage which stood at 17.830 tmcft on July 18 rose to 49.121 tmcft at 8 am on July 24. The water level in the 90-year-old reservoir constructed by the then British regime also witnessed a sharp increase to 86.850 feet on Wednesday as against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet from 47.780 feet on July 18.

 

Only on July 16, the Tamil Nadu government convened an all-party meeting to condemn Karnataka for not releasing 12 tmcft of water every day from July 12 to July 31 as per the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) and resolved to move the Supreme Court if the need arose.

 

However, heavy rainfall in Kodagu, from where river Cauvery originates, and in catchment areas led to record storage in reservoirs like Kabini, and Krishnarajasagar from where excess water was released. From July 18 to July 24, the water realisation at Biligundlu, the entry point of Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu from Karnataka, is estimated to be 31 tmcft.

 

 

 

Sharing of Cauvery water has been an issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for over years now despite the Supreme Court delivering its judgment on the long-drawn dispute. For four years from 2018 to 2022, the heavy rains and steady inflow of water into Mettur dam helped the states to settle the matter. However, In 2023, the confrontations began and it reached the Supreme Court yet again.

 

The water level crossing 90 feet at the Mettur dam has revived hopes of farmers in the Cauvery delta region who are waiting for the past few weeks for the sluices of the reservoir to be opened. Water from the dam for cultivation of kuruvai (short-term crop) is generally opened on June 12, but it wasn’t this year due to non-availability of adequate amounts of water.