The delay in monsoon might cost the state dearly. Reservoirs across Karnataka, already at dead storage levels, might be filled up only by August or September, according to experts, provided the monsoon is not delayed any more. A few major reservoirs, in fact, may not reach optimum levels at all, including the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir from which the state releases water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. 
While monsoon is expected in Kerala around June 1 every year, it reaches Karnataka only a few days later. This year, it arrived seven days late, and is yet to spread across the state. Experts term this an ‘exceptional’ delay. “The KRS which should have been full by the first week of August is still witnessing low levels of water. If we get good showers in the coming days, we can now expect KRS to fill up by the end of August,” said Captain S Raja Rao, Former Secretary, Water Resource Department.