Madikeri: The flow of water in the Cauvery River at Kushalnagar has significantly receded, plunging the popular tourist town into a water crisis. In response, a sandbag bund has been placed in the river near the pump house at Baichanahalli, which supplies drinking water to Kushalnagar. Authorities are taking steps to store water to mitigate the shortage.
Maintenance and Conservation Efforts
Municipal Chief Officer Girish stated that maintenance work on the town's borewells is currently underway. The sandbag bund is intended to help retain water for the pumping station, ensuring a continued supply for residents.
Impact on Tourism and Daily Life
At the Dubare tourist centre, the river flow has declined completely, forcing a halt to all rafting activities. Rafts are now parked on the riverbank, and tourists must cross the river using sandbags placed in the water to reach the Dubare elephant camp. This has disrupted the tourism experience in the area.
Meanwhile, residents of the Basaveshwara block in Kushalnagar have raised alarms as borewells, on which most households depend, are drying up. The situation is worsening as both the Cauvery and Harangi rivers experience reduced flow.
Water Release and Dam Levels
Currently, some water is being released from the Harangi reservoir solely for public drinking purposes and for livestock. The water level at the Harangi dam has dropped sharply, with storage falling to 3.21 TMC, down from its maximum capacity of 8.50 TMC.
Harangi dam Executive Engineer IK Puttaswamy explained that water levels will be maintained based on demand, and releases will only be made for drinking purposes to villages. This highlights the severity of the situation, as non-essential uses are being curtailed.
The receding water levels in both rivers and the drying of borewells underscore the growing water crisis in Kushalnagar, affecting both residents and the local tourism industry.
