By P.T. Bopanna
Even as the water level in the KRS reservoir supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and Mysuru plunged, Karnataka government has declared Virajpet taluk in Kodagu (Coorg) as drought-hit. Kodagu district which is the main catchment area of river Cauvery, has suffered a 30 per cent deficit in rainfall. 
The water level in the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir has plunged to 104.41 feet on Sunday, as against the full reservoir level of 124.80 feet. The reservoir level was 123.80 feet during the corresponding day last year.
One of the reasons for the fast depleting level in KRS is on account of the fact that Karnataka has been quietly releasing water to Tamil Nadu to clear the June quota as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order.
According to reports, between June and August, Kodagu saw 30 per cent deficit in rainfall with only 1,472 mm rain.
The fast depleting level in the KRS is likely to strain the relationship between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the coming months over the sharing of Cauvery waters.
Dont worry people, the situation might ‘improve’ because the Karnataka Govt and our Forest Dept is planning to cut another 50,000 trees for a four lane highway to Karike. And another 2 lakhs trees for a four lane highway to Mattanur airport through Virajpet. And approximately 3 lakh trees for an industrial estate near Madikeri, and 1 lakh trees for the planned airport, and 9 lakh trees for the many micro irrigation/power projects which been found unviable and failed all over the Country. So please stock up on Bisleri and Kinely bottles because drinking water will become very precious in about 10 years. Bath water? What’s that?
So sad. Although none can predict the vagaries of Mother Nature, massive deforestation and other activities adverse to ecology are the root causes for such a scenario to prevail today.