Context: Due to heavy rain in the catchment areas, the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam's water release will be increased to over one lakh cusecs from the current 70,000 cusecs. This adjustment, the highest in two years, is due to the dam reaching full capacity with ongoing high inflows. Authorities have issued a flood warning and advised residents in low-lying areas and downstream to evacuate.
About judgment
- The Karnataka High Court said that the ban will apply even for those mining activities within a 20-km radius for which permissions/licences were already granted by the authorities, or already operating in the area, or were permitted on the orders of the court in earlier rounds of litigation.
- The court also said that the ban will be in force till the completion of a study by experts and the decision taken by the State Committee on Dam Safety, set up as per the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
About Krishnarajasagara Dam
- Krishna Raja Sagar Dam is also known as KRS Dam. It is one of the famous dams in South India.
- Built over Cauvery (Kaveri) River near confluence of Cauvery, Hemavathi and Lakshmana Tirtha.
- Named after Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV of Mysore. Built during the rule of Wodeyar's in 1932.
- It is a major source of drinking water for Mysore and Bangalore city, KRS dam is also one of the main sources of irrigation water for Mandya and Mysore. Along with this, its major purpose is to ensure power supply to the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric power station.
- With a length of 3 km, this dam also boasts of being the first irrigation dam of India.
- It is the creation of one of the greatest engineers that India had produced Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah. Often referred as the ‘architect of modern Mysore’ or ‘father of planning in India’, Sir Vishweshwaraiah did create something ahead of his time with such precision and excellence, that it is a popular sightseeing place of Mysore even today. In order to honour his vast contribution in the development of India and to acknowledge the greatness of his work, the entire India celebrates 15 September as Engineer's Day.
Read also: Dam Safety Act, 2021